TD-SCDMA to be rolled out in 2005

According to a senior government official, China will launch its home-grown standard for 3G communications – TD-SCDMA – commercially by June 2005. The readiness of the technology will assist the government in determining when to award 3G licences, although it has admitted that it is yet to set an official timeframe for the process. Equipment suppliers Lenovo, Ningbo Bird, Hisense and Amoisonic are set to launch at least five mobile handsets based on the TD-SCDMA standard by the end of this year.