China Mobile expanding 3G network to 28 more cities

China Mobile plans to expand its 3G (third-generation) network to include another 28 cities, the head of the company said Tuesday.

Building out the network to include 28 more cities will bring China Mobile's total coverage to 38 cities in China, said Wang Jianzhou, chairman and CEO of China Mobile, at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, China.

The company has already ordered equipment for the network based on China's home grown 3G standard, TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) technology. TD-SCDMA does not support other 3G formats, so visitors to China who want to use 3G services will have to rent or buy TD-SCDMA handsets or Internet dongles.

China Mobile started testing its 3G network earlier this year and had it ready in 10 cities hosting events for the Summer Olympic Games, including Beijing.

So far, China Mobile is the only major Chinese mobile carrier to announce 3G services. The country hasn't even held 3G license auctions yet, nor has it announced when it might do so. Analysts say Chinese authorities will likely hand out three nationwide 3G licenses.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.