BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Workers were busy Sunday installing a digital
television system in two of the city's subway lines to prepare for live
broadcasts of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Passengers will be able to watch Liu Xiang and other sports stars on mobile broadcasts
in 56 trains on the Batong Line and 24 trains on Line 13, with six screens
in each carriage, according to Beijing Mobile TV -- the company in charge
of the project.
Subway cars on Lines 1 and 2, and brand-new Line 5 which will start
carrying passengers in September, will also provide live television broadcasts
with the same technology.
Subway passengers will be able to watch news reports, get information
updates such as live traffic situations, and watch live broadcasts of the
upcoming Olympic games.
The installation comes after a successful one-year trial operation of the
digital TV system in part of Beijing's subway network.
Trial broadcasts of digital television programs were first launched in
Beijing's ground transit system in 2004, providing news, information and
entertaining programs to passengers.
So far, about 5,000 buses have been equipped with the digital television
system, and the government plans to install the system in 12,000 more buses and
30,000 cabs before 2008.
The company plans to expand the technology to private cars, buildings and
public places -- part of Beijing's efforts to create a high-tech
Olympics.