China's top three mobile phone operators have already begun to battle for the largest potential market of the long-awaited 3G phones. The big three have their own ideas on how to convince the public to buy their products.
All three mobile operators seem well prepared for the new 3G competition. Two days after the country began issuing licenses, 3-G products are already on display.
Utilizing different standards of 3-G technology, products from the big three feature major differences.
China's largest mobile operator, China Mobile, is for now the only operator using the domestic 3-G standard. It is allowing mobile carriers to change to the new network while still keeping the same sim-card and phone number. The simple procedure is a bonus for consumers, but some still doubt whether the new networks have been completely established.
The country's largest fixed-phone operator, China Telecom, has plans on luring customers by offering low prices. It will finish a new 3-G network within three months by upgrading to the current CDMA network. The operator is good at turning what it already does into new business. It plans on binding fixed-phones into the 3-G system and slashing cell-phone prices.
Zhang Jiping, deputy manager of China Telecom, said, "What we are providing is not just simply a 3-G service. We will merge the networks of fixed-phones and mobile phones. We will also combine audio and digital services with on-line services."
China Unicom hopes to score points with its customers by applying the widely used 3-G standard to its existing global roaming service.
Though they will adopt different standards, the three operators have agreed to keep the price of 3-G phones within the realm of current 2-G technology.
(CCTV January 9, 2009)
