Verizon Wireless has launched cell phone TV operated by MediaFlo (owned by Qualcomm). Verizon Wireless owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc, announced the $15 a month fee for the service, which includes eight channels broadcasting full-length TV shows 24 hours per day. Recently Cingular announced they have plans to launch MediaFlo cell phone TV service.

Mobile video services has been very slow to take off because of high prices and poor quality compared with cable and satellite tv. However, Verizon's cell phone TV had a picture quality that is comparable with home TV and about twice as clear as Verizon Wireless' existing Vcast video service.Currently, approximately 7 million US customers of the 232 million US mobile subscribe to mobile phone TV service.AT&T Inc.'s Cingular Wireless, has plans to launch MediaFlo to its customers later in the year. The first phone to support MediaFlo is the Samsung U620 and is sold for $199 or $149.99 for customers who sign a two-year contract. Verizon plans to add an LG Electronics Inc. phone in weeks.

Subscribers who also sign up for mobile Internet access, worth $5 a month, and Verizon's existing Vcast service, which lets users download short video clips for $15 a month, can add MediaFlo for $25 a month, or $10 less than if they bought the three separately. The MediaFlo service launched last Thursday is available if the following cities: New Orleans; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Las Vegas; Tucson, Arizona; Kansas City; Dallas-Forth Worth; and Salt Lake City. Channels include a live feed from MTV, and programming from CBS Corp., NBC, ESPN, Fox, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Some programs are shown at the same time as regular TV, while others are rescheduled to match the heaviest mobile phone television viewing times.