As revealed, the jointly established China Communications Facility Services Co., LTD (hereinafter referred to as the "tower company") by the three major operators in China would build about 120,000 new towers and responding IT rooms in the next three years, as well as the supporting facilities.
According to the prediction of informed sources, with the 4G development plan of the three major operators, they will build about 200,000 base stations and IT rooms, and the necessary ancillary facilities in the next 3 years. If all the towers of the base station were built by the tower company, it would reduce 40% repeated construction,which means about 80,000 towers and supporting facilities will be reduced. Based on the present construction cost, this will save about CNY 30 billion for the three major operators.
As present, the tower company has made its working schemes for the next 3 years, which include: by the end of 2014, the tower company is in charge of all the new-build towers and passive systems, all the three operators should rent from it; from 2015, it will gradually incorporate the existing towers of the three major operators, including IT rooms and the active devices in them, as well as the existing base stations and all the indoor distribution systems; in the middle of 2016, complete the transformation to the “communication facility services company” of the tower company.
In addition, the tower company will also consider the reforms of the systems in the future, which include the introduction of private capitals, establish the modern enterprise mechanisms and reform of the mixed ownership.