German anti-monopoly authorities on Friday approved plans by mobile phone operators T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone to create a joint technical platform to bring television to mobile phones.
The three operators will work to develop broadcasts on the new European norm DVB-H, or Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds, the authorities said in a statement.
They could also buy programmes together, although they would be marketed separately. While the agreement would limit the amount of competition between operators, they are obliged to respect a number of norms so that customers can choose freely between the operators.