MediaFLO

The technology could also carry Internet Protocol datacast application data, such as stock market quotes, sports scores, and weather reports.

The "FLO" in MediaFLO stood for Forward Link Only,[5] meaning that the data transmission path is one way, from the tower to the device.

In the United States, the MediaFLO system used frequency spectrum 716-722 MHz, which had previously been allocated to UHF TV channel 55.01Nov2004 Qualcomm press release regarding 700 MHz spectrum usage for MediaFLO [6] FLO was standardized within ETSI as TS 102 589,[7] and has components standardized within the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA 1099, 1102, 1103, 1104, 1120, 1130, 1132, 1146 and 1178.)

Qualcomm conducted MediaFLO technical trials internationally, with the intention of forming partnerships with existing multi-channel content providers and service operators, but has since discontinued development.

ATSC, used only by the United States and its neighbors, also has difficulty even with fixed reception due to multipath, and mobile ATSC-M/H (which is free-to-air from individual TV stations) was not finalized until 2008.

[8] In the now defunct United States implementation, FLO was transmitted by a network of high-power broadcast transmitters operating at effective radiated powers as high as 50 kilowatts.

[12] Qualcomm also bought, in a later auction, the use of former analog UHF TV channel 56 (722-728 MHz) in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco for additional services.

In the U.S., all FLO television providers offered a set of 14 basic channels: Adult Swim time-shares with 2.FLO, as it does on cable TV with Cartoon Network.

[14] For conditional access, Verizon Wireless utilized its EVDO network to authenticate mobile handsets and provide the decryption keys necessary to decode the programming.

On July 21, 2010, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said the company planned to either sell its MediaFLO business or its spectrum, or to find a partner.

[20] The company said that the MediaFLO spectrum could be used for electronic magazines or newspapers, though such services could be offered alongside the existing broadcast channels.

On December 20, 2010, AT&T announced that it would purchase Qualcomm's FCC licenses in the 700 MHz band and that FLO TV service would be shut down on March 27, 2011.