US : Vidiator announced that its VeeStream(TM) platform enabled 3 Sweden to launch the live broadcast Big Brother reality TV show.

Already popular in the UK, Italy and Australia, Big Brother features 24-hour access to "Big Brother's" residence.

Subscribers can watch what happens in the house live-streamed on their video-enabled mobile phones. Big Brother is one of the most successful mobile content services offered by 3 Sweden.

During Big Brother's first week, in February, 3 Sweden users streamed more than 100,000 video streams, averaging more than 10 minutes. Mobile subscribers pay a monthly fee to gain access to the program on an "all you can eat" basis.

VeeStream, the enabling technology, delivers the highest quality audio and video streaming content on-demand for 2.5G and 3G network operators, regardless of format player, handset or network. VeeStream solves the problem of network bandwidth availability by using 'dynamic bandwidth adaptation' (DBA) a patent-pending, open-standards-based technology. 3GPP/3GPP2 compliant VeeStream enables real-time, on-the-fly radio bandwidth adaptation, agnostic to the player deployed. By using this leading-edge technology, Vidiator provides its mobile streaming solution to a broader range of networks and devices, thereby lowering costs to wireless operators. Wireless operators deploying Vidiator's solutions find themselves on the cutting edge of 3G technologies while generating new average revenue per user (ARPU) and a high return on investment (ROI). In the highly competitive mobile market, this translates into greater customer loyalty.

"We love what VeeStream enables us to do," says Shlomo Liran, CEO of 3 Scandinavia. "We are a mobile video company, not just a mobile voice company. Vidiator streaming technology makes it possible for us to deliver innovative video content to many users today, and for us to always stay several steps ahead of our competitors."

"Vidiator is a solutions provider, not purely a software company," said Connie Wong, Vidiator's CEO. "Big Brother is a very popular offering and VeeStream makes cost-effective live, streamed broadcasts possible by enabling remote transcoding at the content source, leading to bandwidth savings. Vidiator's solutions bring 3G to life by creating new multimedia user experiences and enhancing carrier ARPU. VeeStream's robust billing interface also enables a variety of streaming statistics, useable for different billing categories."

Customers indicate that a key differentiator of VeeStream is its modular architecture, which allows operators to "plug and play." Operators can plug-in more servers to handle higher streaming traffic without re-configuring the network or plug-in servers for streaming and transcoding separately. If a new channel is created to broadcast new content, the operator simply plugs in a new transcoder for the new content or removes it if the purpose is served. Wong continues, "VeeStream is the most proven carrier-grade wireless streaming technology in the market due to its robustness, scalability and modularity. A carrier like 3 Sweden only has to 'plug and play' off their existing Vidiator streaming platform running other applications to add a new live broadcast service like Big Brother. This scalability enables quick time-to-market for new content, lowers system configuration and operation costs for 3 Sweden, while boosting revenues."

VeeStream is currently deployed in 8 countries worldwide with wireless carriers, content providers and service providers. VeeStream is delivering over 1 million streams per day in Europe alone. VeeStream powers all commercial wireless video streaming over "3's" networks. In addition to Big Brother, other streamed multimedia services currently offered using VeeStream include live broadcasts of breaking news, traffic, sports, live rock concerts, and racetrack monitoring, and media-on-demand broadcasts of MTV music, movie trailers, adult channels, video greeting cards, ringtone sampling and more. Through the provisioning of these services, VeeStream enables mobile carriers to yield higher ARPU, customer loyalty and gain market share.

About Vidiator Technology (U.S.) Inc.

Vidiator is a leading 3GPP and 3GPP2 compliant solutions provider for the delivery of rich media across wireless networks. Its core streaming platforms deliver the highest quality multimedia content for 3D mobile messaging; wireless broadcasting and rich media content applications. Vidiator's market leading technology enabled audio, video and image transcoding within MMS networks, and powered the first commercial deployment of wireless video streaming solutions over 3G networks including live streamed broadcasts of breaking news and sporting events in 2003. Vidiator's rich media streaming solution is a carrier-grade, standards-based, scalable platform providing 2.5G and 3G network operators with audio and video transcoding and streaming. Vidiator's VeeStream has deployed in 8 countries and spans over four continents. Vidiator is based in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.A., and has offices in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Please visit www.vidiator.com.

About 3 Sweden

3 Sweden is a mobile video communications company, providing fast, reliable, affordable and personalized connections for individuals and businesses through a high quality mobile network. 3 Sweden's vision is to enhance people's lives through mobile video communication -- mobile multimedia services, designed for the eye and finger rather than the ear and mouth. In Sweden and Denmark, 3 is owned by Hutchison Whampoa (60%) and Investor AB (40%), who have solid network and industry track records worldwide. 3 Sweden is building mobile multimedia services together with other Hutchison Whampoa companies in Australia, Austria, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom.