• Reuters, Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11 AM

It was expected that AT&T would take a stab at Web TV, following in the footsteps of competitors like Sprint Nextel and Comcast. Today, the telecom giant is unveiling AT&T Broadband TV, which will be available to high-speed Web users for $20 per month. Subscribers get access to 20 channels, which they can watch on a computer, laptop or mobile device, provided that their Web connection is at least 500 kilobits per second. The idea is that AT&T will eventually be able to offer Web and TV service from the same place for one combined price, but their big problem is competition from all sides of the media and technology sector. The Web enables content providers to circumvent the need for distributors, allowing them to publish their content on the Web themselves. ABC is the best early example of this, showing hits like "Desperate Housewives" on its site, along with long-form ads. Then there are movie download and online video services, which are popping up all over the Web at a dime a dozen. But the biggest potential Web TV killer is Sling Media's Sling Box, which at $200 lets viewers watch their cable channels on Web-connected devices with no monthly fee. AT&T is teaming with streaming services provider MobiTV to offer the service, which supplies programming from the Food Network, the History Channel and Bloomberg TV, among others.

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