Nokia launches mobile TV enabled handset

NEW DELHI: To cash in on the booming mobile entertainment market, which is expected to touch 10 billion dollar by 2010, global mobile handset manufacturer Nokia has launched a new N-series multimedia device that will support live TV on mobile.

The handset - Nokia N92 - is the world's first DVB-H enabled device that would support LIVE Broadcast Mobile TV, Nokia said.

The public broadcaster Doordarshan had recently launched Mobile TV services in Delhi. The service currently comprises eight Free-to-Air Doordarshan channels including DD National, DD News and DD Sports supported on DVB-H compliant handsets, it said.

According to industry figures, mobile content is likely to contribute to about 30 per cent of the revenues for the broadcasters. The mobile phone market in the country is also expected to touch 348 million by 2010.

"With growing popularity of mobile devices and its capability to offer instant access to information and entertainment, this initiative will bring in the perfect synergy between television content and the mobile platform," Nokia Director Multimedia Vineet Taneja said.

The total TV viewing audience in the country currently stands at 437.8 million.

Nokia has also supported the launch of Mobile TV services across several countries, including commercial launches in Vietnam and Finland.

The test results from these markets clearly indicate an outstanding demand for Mobile TV services and outlines India as one of the leading countries in Asia to deploy live Mobile TV thereby equipping the Indian consumers with their favourite programmes 'on-the-go', he said.