The majority of executives in the wireless industry say mobile TV is years away from mainstream penetration.

Some 7 of 10 wireless executives say the majority of their customers would not adopt mobile TV within the next three years, MediaPost reports, citing a study by Mercer Management Consulting presented at the CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment 2006 conference. The study concluded (pdf) that adding mobile TV to wireless plans would result only in $5 in additional revenue per user by 2009. The benefits that adding mobile TV could add for cellular companies would be the ability to charge more for handsets and the potential to increase customer loyalty.

The study did not produce a definitive industry view toward the future of MP3-enabled cell phones as a competitor to the iPod, but 71 percent of respondents said they expect MP3 phone use to be prevalent by 2009.

Mercer surveyed 300 industry-related executives representing wireless carriers, content owners, device and equipment manufacturers, venture and investment banking firms, and software companies for its study.