Sina Technology News, Beijing Time, evening of November 20. According to foreign media reports today, China Mobile is currently testing the TD-SCDMA network with partners from Japan and South Korea. This is one of the measures to promote China's self-developed 3G technology overseas.
Currently, China Mobile is the only mobile operator in the world using TD-SCDMA technology, but the company hopes more mobile operators will experiment with this 3G technology. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile operator by number of users.
At a press conference in Shenzhen on Thursday, Wang Jianzhu, chairman of China Mobile, said: "We are working very hard to encourage these tests." China Mobile has taken steps to encourage network equipment and mobile phone manufacturers to support this technology, even though these manufacturers have already widely supported other 3G technologies.
In order to reduce dependence on foreign technology, the Chinese government is encouraging the development of self-developed 3G technologies such as TD-SCDMA, and helping TD-SCDMA technology overcome some obstacles in its development through providing R&D subsidies and industry development funds. For example, Gao Nianshu, general manager of China Mobile Data Department, said that a special incentive fund aimed at promoting the research and development of TD-SCDMA mobile phones has prompted various mobile phone manufacturers to bring out 11 new smartphones. These include Motorola Snapper, Samsung GT-i8180C, LG GW880, and Dopod 8388. These phones are currently being tested and are expected to be available by the end of the year. Among these new phones are also five low-cost TD-SCDMA phones.
Wang Jianzhu said that the lack of low-cost TD-SCDMA smartphones is one of the reasons for the slow growth of 3G users. He hopes to see smartphones priced around RMB 1000 (approximately USD 147) in the Chinese market as soon as possible. Wang Jianzhu refused to disclose the Japanese and Korean partners that China Mobile is currently collaborating with. In July, China Potevio, a Chinese network equipment manufacturer, signed an agreement to operate a trial TD-SCDMA network in Italy. (Yifei)
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