Verizon Wireless to launch Vcast Mobile TV March 1

Verizon Wireless will begin offering mobile television on March 1, according to coverage maps on the carrier’s Web site.

No further details were offered, and the maps offered the caveat that mobile TV would be available only in “select markets” on March 1. The maps do not currently show coverage in major markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego or Las Vegas.

Verizon Wireless has branded the service as “Vcast Mobile TV,” and references to the service are available in several locations on the carrier’s Web site.

Verizon Wireless has previously said that its Vcast Mobile TV service will have “an initial launch in many major U.S. markets” by the end of the first quarter, which ends March 31. The carrier is using Qualcomm Inc.’s MediaFLO mobile TV network for the service; AT&T Inc.’s Cingular Wireless L.L.C. also has announced that it will use MediaFLO for mobile TV, and will launch commercial services late this year.