The BBC, the UK’s national public service broadcaster, has begun a consultation into the use of its TV and radio channels over 3G mobile networks. The consultation, which will run until August 22, follows the completion of a 12-month trial of the service, which ended in April. In its consultation document, the BBC argued that it was “uniquely placed to drive mainstream use of mobile television, with wider benefits for broadcasters and consumers.” However, it admitted that its year-long trial (with UK mobile operators Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile and 3, and digital broadcaster Sky) had revealed that “the level of demand for content delivered via 3G is uncertain and may – at least in the short to medium term – be relatively small.” It noted that the average daily reach of the BBC’s TV channels was limited – peaking at just 580 viewers in June 2007.

The broadcaster proposes that it may ‘re-purpose’ some content so it is appropriate for consumption via 3G mobile devices, but that it would not look to create ‘made-for-mobile’ content. Under the terms of its public charter, the BBC must also make its services available free of charge, but it noted that the mobile TV services used in the trial cost users between £3 and £10 per month. To overcome this problem, the BBC says it will follow a “lowest common tier” principle by insisting its services are offered to consumers as part of the lowest charging tier available on the platform. It added that “it was committed to supporting any moves that would enable all its services to be provided free of charge across all platforms.”