TV over Nokia phone turns out expensive

HELSINKI: Planning to buy the new Nokia cellphone that allows you to watch television? Don't forget to tell the government - they might want to charge you for it. that gives users the possibility to watch TV. The 500 euro ($572) device is due to hit the shops in the second qua

Nokia unveiled the 7700 model last week, a space-age looking device with a large touch-screen display rter of next year.

But there could be a catch. Most European nations charge their citizens a license fee to cover the costs of public service television.

In Finland, owning a TV set is the only condition for having to pay the license, which currently costs 165 euros ($188.8) per year. One license covers all television sets in the household.

An official at Finland's communications watchdog FICORA said users of the 7700 would need to have a license, but he did not think it would be an issue for owners.

"If you can use it as a TV, it's a TV set. But if you can pay that for that kind of telephone I think you can afford to pay the TV fee," said Esko Kotilainen, director of television fee administration at FICORA.

Nokia said it was looking into regulatory matters with the phone, which will open up a new category of mobile entertainment devices.

"One of the goals with doing this pilot project is to find out what the issues are that need to be resolved, and obviously, regulatory issues are a big part of that," said spokesman Damian Stathonikos at Nokia Mobile Phones.

Reuters