AT&T Inc. announced on Tuesday the launch of Video Share, the first-ever service in the US that allows users to share live video between wireless devices while participating in a voice call. Initially, Video Share will be available in Atlanta, Dallas and San Antonio, but will then expand in late July throughout the company's 3G wireless network covering more than 160 markets.
Randall Stephenson, AT&T's chairman and CEO said that the new service has the potential to eventually expand beyond wireless-to-wireless:
"You should expect this to quickly reach the other two screens, and that's the PC and the television," he said at NXTcomm. "Imagine watching television when a notice pops on the screen that a daughter or granddaughter would like to initiate a Video Share call, then immediately switching the television screen to accept the video and audio," Stephenson said. "With our powerful IP-based network and flexible IMS platform, these scenarios will eventually be reality."
Video Share works by enabling one-way, live streaming video feeds on a Video Share-capable handset. The company said it will offer Video Share service packs for $4.99 and $9.99 a month for 25 or 60 minutes of usage respectively. Without a plan, the service costs $0.35 a minute. This adds to the company's momentum as the iPhone's launch approaches. However, the service won't apply to Apple's device since it uses an older network.