BT and Chinese equipment manufacturer ZTE signed a deal to jointly develop handsets for mobile TV and DAB digital radio services.
In a statement, ZTE and BT Movio, the wholesale mobile entertainment service arm of BT, said they would deliver multi-mode 3G DAB-IP handsets, enabling mobile operators to deliver entertainment such as mobile TV and DAB digital radio alongside existing 3G streamed services.
ZTE said it would be the first vendor in the world to support DAB-IP technology in its 3G handsets.
The dual-mode 3G/DAB-IP handsets would enable mobile operators to reduce the cost of entry for new mobile TV and DAB digital radio services and easily cross-sell premium broadcast services to existing 3G subscribers, ZTE said.
"As the uptake of 3G services continues to grow, so consumers are demanding a richer experience and one that is complimentary to their other 'digital' broadcast services," He Shiyou, SVP of ZTE, said.
ZTE further said that by using DAB-IP, mobile operators could immediately deploy mobile TV services.