SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung Electronics said on Monday (Jan. 9) it has agreed to supply 500,000 phones enabled for terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasts (T-DMB) to two major Chinese mobile TV operators. The deal is Samsung's first overseas shipment of T-DMB handsets.

Samsung said it will provide 200,000 handsets to Beijing Jolon Digital Media Broadcasting Co., Ltd. in April. The two companies have agreed to work together to develop a T-DMB technology standard for China, a range of DMB phone models and DMB services.

The April shipment will make Samsung the first handset manufacturer to provide T-DMB phones in China. "We have high expectations for the terrestrial DMB phones," said Beijing Jolon President Qin Xuegang.

Samsung will also supply 300,000 T-DMB phones to Guangdong Mobile Television Media Co. Ltd., which plans to launch commercial T-DMB service in Guangdong province during the first half of 2006. Phones will be provided for a year after the service launch date. The partners will also develop new DMB phones and related services.

China is expected to launch Asia's second commercial T-DMB service. South Korea launch the service in December.

Industry experts said mobile broadcasting should emerge this year. Samsung has already provided both satellite and terrestrial DMB phones here. It has cooperated with European operators to launch mobile TV services, targeting brisk sales expected ahead of the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament.

According to investment banker CSFB’s forecast, the global mobile TV phone market is expected to grow to 150 million handsets by 2009.