Specialized in 3G in China

For many years, one of the biggest mysteries of the telecom market is when China will officially issue 3G business licenses, an event that can open up new horizons ahead of businesses. telecommunications and global mobile phone production.

Soon the problem will be solved, but it seems that its answer is not what the West seeks or desires. Simply, because China is trying to follow a separate path.

Part of the curtain was lifted last week, when two officials from two fixed telecommunications networks in China, China Telecommunications and China Unicom, predicted that 3G licenses could be issued this month.

Optimistic commentary by Mr. Liang Dong Quan, chairman of China's largest fixed telephone network (China Telecom) and Chu Tu Kien, China Netcom CEO, has helped stocks of both networks increase record prices. (15% and 8.5% respectively) after only one day.Investors believe that both are about to get 3G licenses, which means touching the currently hot market segment.

So after nearly three years of delay, people finally saw the light of births looming for 3G in China, the country with the largest number of mobile subscribers in the world today. Mr. Quan's and Mr. Kien's optimism immediately received a response from a global telecommunications industry, which wished to win a share of the Chinese pie.

" All the information clues have suggested that China will keep its promise in licensing 3G before the 2008 Summer Olympics, " said Dinh Vuong, president of Asia-Pacific region. Qualcomm said.

Still open

However, not everyone is so optimistic. Some veteran experts have found another information that is more orthodox and opposed to the above optimistic forecasts. The Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang Tu Dong, Minister of Information of China, said the ministry currently has no plans to " reform domestic telecommunication networks according to 3G routes ".

The granting of 3G licenses, inevitably, will require China to reform the entire telecommunications industry, redistribute assets among four state-owned telecommunications networks, China Telecom, China. Netcom, China Mobile and China Unicom. Therefore, if there is no sign of a major reform, 3G capability is very difficult.

The problem is even more complicated when China is reluctant to deploy 3G when domestic technology is still immature. China is keen to promote its own 3G standard TDS-CDMA, instead of the current two popular standards, CDMA2000 and TW-CDMA. The 3G license has been delayed over and over again in part because of the lack of successful TDS-CDMA products.

In addition, foreign businesses are also afraid that if there is a 3G license, China is limited to a few million residents in big cities, where the Olympics are held, such as Beijing and Shanghai. .

With less than 2 years coming, the Olympics will officially open, Chinese telecom officials need to make the final decision soon: 3G - yes or no?

Trong Cam