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China Unicom to test 3G network in seven cities

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-25 12:13

Chang Xiaobing, chairman and CEO of China Unicom, said that he expects the Chinese government to speed up the issuing of 3G licenses. Once a W-CDMA (UMTS), one of the international 3G standards, license is issued to China Unicom, it will start testing its 3G network in seven Chinese cities by the end of this year, the Beijing Times reported.

On Monday, a source from China Unicom said that the company will set up trial W-CDMA networks in such Chinese cities as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Foshan, Liuzhou, Zhengzhou, Baoding and Wuxi, with about 100 W-CDMA base stations in each city. Meanwhile, Shanghai Unicom, Shenzhen Unicom and Wuxi Unicom were reported to have already begun works on the trial W-CDMA networks and base stations.

China Unicom's first W-CDMA network is expected to begin its trial run on December 31. China Unicom’s customers in Wuxi can apply to participate in the W-CDMA trial program through SMS.

It is expected that China Unicom will begin building its W-CDMA networks in major Chinese cities as soon as it secures the license from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Another source from China Unicom said that the company plans to complete its 3G network construction in major Chinese cities in the first two quarters of next year and extend its 3G network coverage to medium-sized cities in China before the end of next year.