Live mobile TV is set to become a reality as BT today announced that Virgin Mobile will be the first mobile operator to sign up to the BT Movio broadcast digital TV and radio service for mobile phones. Virgin Mobile will become the first mobile operator in Europe to offer its customers digital TV and radio content on a mobile device using broadcast technology.

BT has developed a strategic relationship with Microsoft to enable a secure and efficient environment for delivering broadcast services on a mobile handset. Microsoft's Windows Media technologies, including Windows Media Video and Windows Media Audio Pro, enable BT Movio to deliver high-quality audio and video content over a DAB network using minimal bandwidth. The BT Movio service also incorporates Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology to ensure secure delivery of premium video and music content. Windows Media technologies integrate seamlessly with the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system used by the HTC smartphones.

BT Movio is the first wholesale TV offering of its kind in Europe and will be available in the future to all mobile operators in the UK.