Ericsson, Sony unite for mobile TV delivery

Sweden-based telecom equipment maker Ericsson and Japan's electronics giant Sony will expand their alliance beyond cellphones to mobile and broadband TV, according to Per Nordlof, Ericsson's director of product strategy and portfolio management.

"There is a strong confidence between Ericsson and Sony after the success of the handset business and we will work to develop software that connects the gadgets in the homes with the outer world," Nordlof said. "We see a mass market for mobile TV within two years." The Ericsson executive defined a mass market as 30 percent of users regularly watching TV on their cellphones.

Ericsson believes telecom operators will also have to offer TV services through their broadband networks.

"Broadband TV will be an important factor. Most telecom operators realize they will have to offer TV in order not to lose customers," Nordlof added.