As expected - and as we reported earlier this week - China Mobile has been given the official go-ahead to construct a nationwide commercial trial network based on TD-SCDMA technology.

China's powerful Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has "approved a plan by CMCC to expand its current TD-SCDMA commercial trial network (in selected cities) to a nationwide basis".

No timetable for the deployment of infrastructure and the introduction of services has been published but the green light for a nationwide commercial trial increases the likelihood that China Mobile will be mandated to adopt TD-SCDMA to build its 3G networks.

According to a China Mobile the carrier has already received formal approval from the MIIT but nonetheless continues to insist that "it doesn't mean a 3G license has been issued".

The Chinese authorities have been promising to issue 3G licenses for several years past but every time a deadline has neared the licensing process has been postponed and deferred, time and time again. Indeed, it was once a firm commitment that licences would be issued in time for a full 3G service to be available in time for the Beijing Olympics.

There are now just three days left of the games, but no sign of the 3G.

Most industry observers are of the view that the authorities have back-pedalled on their promises as the development of China's home-grown TD-SCDMA 3G technology stalled.

Deploying TD-SCDMA in the People's Republic would obviate the payment of royalty fees to foreign companies who would have provided more expensive but tried-and-tested WCDMA or CDMA2000 networks and many believe the Chinese authorities have been moving the goalposts as they wait for TD-SCDMA to reach maturity. They claim that it now is mature and ready to go but TD-SCDMA has yet to be applied in any commercial network anywhere in the world.

China Mobile has been testing limited TD-SCDMA networks and services in eight cities and has invested more than US$2.1 billion in the network. Now it's payoff time. After all the expense and waiting, let's hope it does indeed pay off.

Source:telecomtv