Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone?...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that...

China finally gives out 3G licences

After all the waiting and wrangling, China has finally decided to hand out its 3G licences, with six lucky handset makers — including ZTE and Lenovo — getting the nod, according to local press reports.

China isn’t using the 3G standards most people are familiar with, preferring a homegrown variant called TD-SCDMA. China has been notoriously slow to move on 3G and so it’s good to see the country gradually shifting from the trial phase into something approaching a full-on commercial launch.

The question of standard is still hanging over China though – by picking its own flavour of 3G and one that’s only used in China, there could be problems with roaming and with persuading the mobile makers to create TD-SCDMA compatible devices. Nevertheless, China has the advantage of being a huge market – by 2011, analysts reckon there will be 51 million users on TD-SCDMA and presumably a lot more to come. If nothing else, China has the sheer weight of numbers on its side to get the mobile industry interested in its version of 3G.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recently Published

Is it time to subscribe to a printer service from HP?

Ever since my dad brought home an HP LaserJet printer (version 3, if memory serves), I have been printing with an HP. Over the...

What’s the best way of buying a phone today?

How did you buy your latest phone? I'm asking because I'm thinking about what I should be doing. When I was living in Oman, I...

MWC: What device highlights did you miss?

So, early last week I predicted that next to nothing from Mobile World Congress would break through into the mainstream media. I was right,...

How Wireless Will Pave the Path to Neobank Profitability

I'm delighted to bring you an opinion piece from Rafa Plantier at Gigs.com. I think it's particularly relevant given the recent eSIM news from...

An end of an era: Vodafone UK turns off 3G services

I thought it was worthwhile highlighting this one from the Vodafone UK team. For so long - for what feels like years, seeing the...

Mobile World Congress: Did the mainstream media notice?

I resolved this year to make sure I wrote something - anything - about Mobile World Congress, the huge mobile industry trade show taking...