Unicom wants partners
24 March 2006
China Unicom is searching for domestic or overseas partners for its CDMA mobile services, which could help turn the business around, the South China Morning Post reported. A larger scale would help lower operating costs, but it is not clear whether Unicom intends to jettison the CDMA business at some stage. �By the end of this year, the telecommunications market will be opened up to foreign players under the World Trade Organization framework,� said chairman Chang Xiaobing. �We want to further explore co-operation with local or foreign partners, especially in the CDMA business.� A smooth transition from the CDMA network to 3G-enabled CDMA 2000 seems unlikely, particularly as the government has delayed announcing the regulatory framework for 3G services.