OK, so I was really wrong about video on mobiles. It looks as if the popularity is growing so much, that is is going to be penetrating the mainstream in a whole new way!

In Italy, not only have almost 1 million 3G mobile video phones made their way to the audience, Telecom Italia has also heavily promoted its fixed-line video phones, of which 1.9 million so far have been sold (410,000 of those with a wi-fi connection). Add those with broadband connections and webcams, and you have a huge audience able to make video calls.

On Telecom Italia’s broadband portal, Rosso Alice, the community channel making use of this gained a quick following. The channel includes a 24-hour video chat community, with local heroes broadcasting their own shows, but also offers eight hours of live television per day. In the programs, those with a video phone or webcam can interact with the TV hosts, sing songs, tell jokes, provide cinema reviews, etc. The caller’s video image is visible on screen, next to or behind the hosts, who sit in a Flash-produced digital studio. [Read the rest]