- China Mobile recently revealed that the company plans to launch 200 new TD (Time-Division) phone models supplied by 50 mobile phone manufacturers in 2011, the Soho IT News reported on March 18. China Mobile already floated a mobile phone purchase tender for six million entry-level and mid-range models. In February, China Mobile was set to purchase 12.2 million mid-range and high-end TD phones, including 1.5 million flagship models, 3.0 million dual-card, dual-stand models. 3.2 million multimedia models, 4.0 million entertainment models, and 3.2 million entry-level Smartphones. China Mobile stated that the company will keep the total reimbursement of phone expenses to within 17.5 billion RMB (US$2.7 billion), increasing by 15% on an annual basis, according to the same source. To date, China Mobile's 3G network coverage already reaches 656 cities in China and the company aims to add 25 million new 3G subscribers in 2011, mainly from the rural areas.
- Beijing Telecom, a subsidiary of China Telecom in Beijing, recently announced that the company will increase its phone rebate by 25% for users purchasing their 3G phones through retail channels and corporate users, the Business Times reported. It is reported that China Telecom's mobile phone rebate are slightly higher than its rivals. China Telecom stated that its rebate will apply to all CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) phones currently available in the marketplace. Meanwhile, China Telecom's rebate for 2G phones, however, will decrease by around 25%, at part of its efforts to boost the sales of its 3G phones.