3G Deployment Delayed in China

From CMPnet: 3G in China? Wait on

"Technical hang-ups with China's domestic 3G standard look likely to delay the handing out of 3G licences this year, according to research firm iSuppli."

"Once again, the blame is being put on TD-SCDMA, the domestic standard that China wants to deploy alongside wideband-CDMA and CDMA2000 1X. Yet while the latter two are ready to go, the former is still teething. During the government's most recent round of tests, iSuppli said only a few handsets passed qualification."

"It is highly improbable that the government would trash the standard, given that it and various companies have sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into R&D. Moreover, the government has elevated TD-SCDMA onto a political pedestal, praising it as an example of China's technical prowess and ability to develop intellectual property."

"For this reason, there is only one viable solution to the TD-SCDMA problem: delay the 3G service licences until China's home-grown technology is truly ready for commercial use ... ."