MUMBAI: China is preparing to launch mobile TV in time for the 2008 Olympics. Although 3G licences are yet to be distributed in China, this move that could serve as a big push for mobile television in Asia.

Media reports indicate that China will be using the digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) standard for rollout.

A report in Xinhua quoting China‘s State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) said that transmission of TV signals to mobiles would be tested in the middle of next year.

The satellite system will be activated in the first half of 2008 so that the Olympic Games could be projected to millions of mobile users across the country.

China‘s two biggest mobile telecom operators, China Mobile and China Unicom are expected to sign agreements at the end of the month with mobile phone makers to buy TV handsets soon.

China has more than 400 million mobile phone users and the number is increasing by 5 million a month, according to the Ministry of Information Technology.