China would issue multiple 3G licenses
13 April 2007
As part of its commitments to the World Trade Organization, China may issue
more than one license for high-speed mobile phone services, the International Herald Tribune
reported. Susan Reding, European Union commissioner for media and
information technology, said Thursday that those commitments mean China
cannot favor one technology over another. Reding met Thursday with
China's information industry minister Wang Xudong, who said China would
be "technologically neutral" and would issue more than one license for
3G services. Wang did not say which standard the country would use,
although the country picked the domestically developed TD-SCDMA as one
of its standards in January 2006. The granting of licenses has been subject to constant delays, although the government has commited to
have 3G services available in time for the Olympics, at least in Beijing.