- The TD-SCDMA Industry Alliance announced that the alliance has added an additional seven alliance members, bringing the total to 78 members, the Xinhua News reported on February 5. Newly added members include Korean Samsung and SK Telecom, and NetAfrique Dot, a Ghana-based internet service provider, as well as four Chinese companies, namely Xiamen Stelcom, Shenzhen Winhap Communications, Jiangsu Ronglian, and Shenzhen Tat Fook. The tie-up with SK Telecom marks the first time that the alliance teamed up with an international operator in the deployment of TD-SCDMA networks. To date, TD-SCDMA trial networks have been deployed in Romania, Korea, Italy, Myanmar, Ghana, Canada, and Hong Kong.

 

- China Telecom recently announced that the company has cancelled subsidies for users purchasing 3G data cards in some cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, in a bid to reduce the data transmission volume and improve the network quality, the China Business News reported on February 4. Beijing Telecom, a subsidiary of China Telecom, confirmed that the company has terminated free data card/CDMA service bundles. Another subsidiary, Shanghai Telecom, also followed suit, but still offers users a 3G bundled package with preferential pricing if they pay one-year subscription fees in advance, according to the same source. China Telecom stated that the company will concentrate more on growing its CDMA phone subscriber base instead. Beijing Telecom still offers up to 70% subsidies for users who purchase CDMA phones.