We can get streamed television shows on our computers and iPhones through various services, but Verizon wants to take it to the next level and stream live television. GeekTech over at PCWorld gives us this scoop,

The Verizon app would be similar to the Hulu and Netflix apps in that it would help bring television to the iPad–the difference, of course, is that it would bring live TV, including news and sports broadcasts. Over the past few months, Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner Cable have also demonstrated iPad app prototypes–though most of them involve remote control and DVR options, not live streaming.

The only issue with this offering I see so far is that users will be tethered to their own homes—no taking video on the run or to the local café. The article states this is so that Verizon can authenticate the user.

While consumers may be interested in being able to carry their television around the house with them—in the form of the iPad—the fact that this cannot be streamed outside the home rather limits its overall value. As I can already watch live television on my actual television and I’m not usually walking around the house while doing so… I wouldn’t mind the ability to watch live television while I’m on the bus, stuck late at the office, or sipping mochas at the local watering hole.

Overall, this is still a good sign for Verizon. With the technology in hand to stream live TV it would only be a simple step for them to remove the tether. Meanwhile, it bridges a gap that isn’t being filled by streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. (Even if I can’t take it on the road.)