- China Mobile recently exhibited 25 TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) phones supporting China's own-developed CMMB (China Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting) mobile TV standard in collaboration with 14 overseas and Chinese mobile phone makers, the Sina Tech News reported on March 23. China Mobile is projected to launch up to 67 CMMB-enabled TD-SCDMA phone models in 2010. Some of these phone models are developed based on 600 million RMB (US$88.2 million; US$1 = 6.8 RMB) funds that China Mobile promised to spend on financing mobile phone makers' TD-SCDMA R&D, according to the same source. Meanwhile, China Mobile, which used to provide a subsidy of 300 RMB (US$44.1) per TD-SCDMA phone user, is expected to provide an equivalent amount of subsidy per CMMB-enabled TD-SCDMA phone user. China Mobile is set to launch a promotion program in 2010, with subsidies totaling to 30 billion RMB (US$4.4 billion) for TD-SCDMA and TD-SCDMA/CMMB-enabled phone purchases.

 

Fourteen mobile phone makers include Dopod, Gionee, Haier, Hisense, Huawei, Kong Profit, Motorola, Lenovo, LG, Potevio, Samsung, Sharp, Yulong Coolpad and ZTE.

 

- On March 24 China Mobile and the CBC (China Broadcasting Corporation) officially announced that TD-SCDMA/CMMB-enabled phones jointly developed by both parties will be commercially available soon, according to another Sina Tech News reported on March 22. Using a China Mobile phone number, the TD-SCDMA/CMMB-enabled phone will operate on China Mobile's 3G network and CBC's CMMB network and will require dual encryption keys whereby allowing users to access mobile TV programming, according to the same source. In addition, China's SARFT (State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television) recently announced that it plans to officially sign an agreement with China Mobile so as to consolidate TD-SCDMA and CMMB networks, as part of its efforts to push network convergence, the chinabyte.com reported on March 22.