Spectacular goals, shock results, significant incidents and the latest standings are debated daily in hundreds of millions of homes and workplaces across the five continents.

The telecoms industry is playing its part in aiding that debate and satisfying the desires of soccer fanatics through a range of fixed and mobile offerings with all the 'need to know' World Cup information as it happens.

But the real significance of this year's event for vendors and operators is the challenge it provides as the first truly global test of mobile TV offerings.

Alongside alert services and results, fans can access live game coverage or special highlight packages via 3G phones.

Vendors and operators hope this will act as the catalyst for mobile TV uptake.

The theory is simple - while many intend to access mobile TV for the duration of the World Cup only, they will be tempted to continue to use it afterwards and spread the message to others if they are provided with a good experience.

Ericsson is hosting a portal for Canadian media giant Rogers - with state of the art video offerings as Daniel Lines, Ericsson's US based project manager, explains.

If a customer signs up for the video alert service they will receive near real time video alerts of goals, penalties or other events during the match for their chosen team or group," Lines says.
Portal visitors can also opt for video highlights, SMS alerts, download wallpapers, national anthems or other graphics representing their chosen country.

Other operators offer similar services. Vodafone Holland has the rights to broadcast delayed footage of every game, while Malaysian operator Maxis has a special World Cup history package as part of its video offering.

In Germany, official World Cup sponsor T-Mobile is offering live mobile TV; UK 3 has established three free mobile TV channels, while Moroc Telecom in Morocco has created a World Cup package to mark the launch of its TV over ADSL service this month.

A report by Informa Telecoms and Media predicts that such video services could net operators USD 300million during the World Cup.

But established services also provide income by giving fans the opportunity to capture World Cup moments, whether they be at a game in Germany or in their own homes with friends.  

Take the simple premise of a fan attending a game in one of the 12 stadiums, who records a photo or video stream of the scene on a mobile and sends it by MMS to friends or family.

While photo-messaging is not new, events like the World Cup witness a dramatic rise in its use between the hundreds of thousands of fans who have descended on Germany to cheer on their teams and their friends and family back home.

The World Cup has also stimulated an increase in chat and text communications within countries - as fans discuss the latest news from Germany.