- China Telecom plans to offer more 3G mobile
phones priced at the level of 1,000 RMB (US$147.1; US$1=6.8 RMB) before year-end
2009 to boost the adoption of 3G mobile devices in China, according to a SinoCast
Daily Business Beat report on December 2. China Mobile has selected 68 models
for the promotion plan. 21 models have already been launched, with 20 to 30
more models slated for rollout by the year-end, while the rest are expected to
hit the market in the first half of 2010. China Mobile's 3G network, based on
the indigenous TD-SCDMA (Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple
Access) technology, has thus far covered 31 provinces and autonomous regions in
China.
- Chinese telecom solution provider ZTE has
reached a strategic partnership agreement with Google for embedding Google
applications, such as Google Maps and search engine, in ZTE's 3G mobile
devices, according to a Chinese-language Sohu report on December 3.
Furthermore, ZTE and Google plan to jointly develop 3G Android-platform mobile devices
customized for different regional markets. In addition, ZTE has also joined
China Mobile's Ophone initiative, aiming to launch its first batch of Ophones
in the first half of 2010. ZTE's Ophones are expected to be embedded with China
Mobile's Mobile Market application store.