China Mobile Communications Corp, the largest network provider in China are ready to begin testing of their 3G network using the TD-SCDMA standard. The test which is set to begin next week will include some 20,000 phones and 5,000 data cards that will be issued throughout Bejing and seven other cities. While there has not been any indication on how long the testing phase will last, China has previously stated that they hoped to have an active 3G network in place before the beginning of the Beijing Olympics, which begins in August.

Beijing has been trying to get the new infrastructure in place since 2001, but the network being as large as it is, needs a mammoth overhaul. Once the government allows the licenses, it will pick carriers to provide the country. The sheer size of China means it is an enormous and significant market, and the change could prove lucrative for a country with some 520 million subscribers.

Read [Wired News]

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