New China’s 3G trials due to last months

The latest trials for the homegrown third-generation mobile standard TD- SCDMA starting this month will last at least 10 months. Beijing will issue three 3G licenses: one for the homegrown TD-SCDMA, one for W-CDMA as used in Europe, and one for the CDMA 2000 system adopted in Japan and South Korea.

The trial, this time led by China Mobile Communications, the parent of China Mobile (0941), covers at least eight cities, including the six cities where the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games are scheduled to be held.

“It’s like a neverending story as there was a TD-SCDMA trial in 2005,” the source said. “The latest trials are still only a partial test. Maybe a complete test will be needed after that.”

Separately, a mainland media report quoted an industry source as saying that China Mobile Communications will ask equipment providers to submit bids for TD-SCDMA network equipment this week. The procurement bids had previously been reported to be worth 18 billion yuan (HK$18.15 billion). But last month, the amount was said to be as high as 26.7 billion yuan, a figure set by the National Development and Reform Commission.

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