Qualcomm is getting its mobile TV swerve on in some of the nation’s largest markets.
The San Diego-based company is launching its FLO TV service in 15 new cities Friday, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Another 24 markets are on the way. The company hopes to be able to cover two-thirds of the country’s populace by the end of the year.
FLO is transmitted by a network of high-power, digital broadcast transmitters operating at effective radiated powers as high as 50 kilowatts. Qualcomm wants to increase the number of mobile handsets that can receive the signals.
The federal government forced Qualcomm to delay its expansion back in February to give people more time to prepare for the analog-to-digital transition, which goes into effect tomorrow. Some broadcasters voluntarily made the switch early, but Qualcomm says the effects of that have been small.