Mobile operators 3 UK, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have launched a joint mobile TV trial.

The technology adopted by the firms for the test broadcasts is TDtv, a UMTS TD-CDMA-3GPP Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Services standard-based system.

The trial, scheduled to run to the end of the year, aims to provide insights for mobile operators into the potential of using existing spectrum and infrastructure to deliver mobile TV and other multimedia services.

TDtv is designed to enable mobile operators to deliver multiple TV channels to an unlimited number of customers. Mobile operators deploying TDtv would also be able to deliver digital audio, multicast or other IP datacast services.

TDtv base stations provided by IPWireless have been deployed on 12 cell sites covering parts of Bristol in the UK to provide broadcast services to TDtv-enabled smartphones.

Mobile broadband television firm MobiTV will provide the client application, as well as facilitate the mobile content and operational components of the trial.

TDtv operates in the universal unpaired 3G spectrum bands available across Europe and Asia at 1900MHz and 2010MHz.