By MATTI HUUHTANEN

The Associated Press

Tuesday, May 10, 2005; 7:54 AM

HELSINKI, Finland -- Nokia Corp. will release technical details about its mobile TV system to help service providers offer customers the possibility of watching television on their handsets, with commercial TV services expected to begin in 2006.

The air interface specifications, for mobile TV based on Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld, or DVB-H, will provide information on how mobile TV terminals interconnect with the network end of the service, the Finnish company said Tuesday.

The technology has been piloted in several countries, including Finland where Nokia last month joined major TV companies and mobile service providers to enable 500 test users in the Helsinki region to watch international television broadcasts and tune in to radio programs on their phones.

``Operators and service providers want to know how the interoperability of terminals from different vendors can be ensured,`` said Richard Sharp, a Nokia spokesman. ``By making this interface specification public, we are emphasizing our commitment to open standards and interoperability as a means to enable positive market development.``

The Nokia mobile TV service, which includes terminals, servers and network components, is based on open standards approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, the company said.

DVB-H is a new technology that enables broadcast transmission of several television, radio and video channels to mobile devices.

In earlier research, Nokia said people like to watch mobile TV in cars and public places, such as cafes. Watching TV on handsets was also common at home and in workplaces, with test users mostly interested in news, weather, sports, current affairs and entertainment.

Nokia, based in Espoo just outside the Finnish capital, is the world`s largest mobile phone maker with sales in 130 countries and 55,500 employees