With DStv MOBILE, 3G cellphone users will get access to video on their cellphones for R59 per month or R19 a week, although MultiChoice reserves the right to terminate a service as soon as a subscriber has esceeded 45 minutes for a weekly, and 180 minutes for a monthly subscription. MultiChoice refers to this only by saying, ''the service is subject to a fair usage policy''. That's not very good for potential subscribers who would want to follow the drawn-out and reality-soap narrative of shows such as Big Brother All Stars and the content from the Idols Extra channels that can severly eat up streaming minutes and will be available on DStv MOBILE come August.
MultiChoice would ideally like to offer this video on cellphone service using the DVB-H (digital video broadcasting - handheld) standard but the incompetent Independent Broadcasting Authority of South Africa (Icasa) that regulates the TV industry in South Africa has been dragging its feet for years and has up to now not been able to get its act together to issue mobile TV operator licences. ''The cellphone is fast becoming a central platform for media consumption and the new DStv MOBILE service gives Vodacom customers the freedom to access their favourite DStv content,'' says Mark Rayner, general manager of DStv MOBILE.
Other channels on DStv MOBILE will include SuperSport Live Events (once again: how much sport can you watch before you breach your monthly limit and get cut off? With DStv MOBILE you'll be able to watch hardly two soccer matches of 90 minutes each with no extra time before you're cut off.). DStv MOBILE will also carry SuperSport Blitz, Channel O, Trace TV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Africa Magic, CNN's CNNi, SawSee (a movie trailer channel), E! Entertainment and Weather24. Limited videos from M-Net, kykNET and Vuzu will also be available.
