Licenses? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Licenses
Apparently China Mobile is getting just as tired of the ongoing delay in the government’s release of 3G licenses, as rumors say it’s put out requests for bids from vendors to build a 3G network. China Mobile is the world’s largest operator, with more than 306 million users on its GSM network. However, the requests it has reportedly put out are for a TD-SCDMA network. TD-SCDMA, you might remember, has been believed in many quarters to be the main reason for the licensing delay, and at the last update, a government official say trials of the technology needed to continue. It’s not too clear what — if anything — is really going on, whether China Mobile will get a license before the network is lit up, or if Chinese officials will just turn a blind eye to it, as they’ve done with other wireless and mobile technologies before. If that’s the case, though, it would make China Mobile’s decision to go with TD-SCDMA a bit more curious, unless it sees that as the only way to avoid the scorn of the government.
Filed Under: 3g
