China Mobile Communications Corp, the parent of China Mobile, plans to invest over CNY15 billion in the rollout of TD-SCDMA networks in 2007 and hopes to launch 3G services before the end of October, writes the Economic Observer. The newspaper cited a company plan that anticipates the cellco completing the construction of 8,602 TD-SCDMA base stations in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xiamen before October this year. It will also complete the procurement of core TD-SCDMA equipment before end-May and terminals will be put into place before end-October.
The paper cited analysts as saying that China Mobile’s large-scale commercial deployment for TD-SCDMA indicates that the government has ‘indirectly’ issued the TD-SCDMA licence. It is speculated that China Mobile will take over and combine the partially-completed TD-SCMDA networks of China Telecom in Shanghai and China Netcom in Beijing, though no further details on this have been given.