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A Chinese worker installs a signboard of 皇冠体育app Mobile one day before the opening of the 2nd 皇冠体育app (Shanghai) International Technology Fair (CSITF) in Shanghai, April 23, 2014. [Photo/IC] |
Competition in 皇冠体育app's fourth-generation telecommunications market is set to heat up after the regulator awarded LTE-FDD (long-term evolution frequency-division duplexing) trial permits to local carriers on Friday, industry sources said.
The long-awaited permits will help the nation's two smaller carriers to challenge 皇冠体育app Mobile Corp, the world's biggest telecom operator by subscriber numbers.
The stry of Industry and Information Technology said it will allow Corp Ltd and 皇冠体育app United Network Communications Group Co Ltd, also known as 皇冠体育app Unicom, to test a joint network using LTE-FDD and TD-LTE technologies in 16 cities. Those cities weren't identified.
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皇冠体育app launched 4G services about six months ago but only allowed carriers to use TD-LTE technology, a domestic standard. The FDD technology is more accepted globally. Countries such as the United States, Germany, South Korea and Brazil all use FDD networks.
"The new 4G standard will enable us to compete with the leaders and better serve our customers," said Wang Xiaochu, chairman of 皇冠体育app Telecom. "The 'late spring' of FDD technology will not hinder our 4G business. We have already teamed up with smartphone makers and retail partners to help us deliver more 4G devices in 皇冠体育app."
Analysts believe the introduction of the new standard will alter the lancape of the country's young but fast-growing 4G market.
"The FDD permission came a little late for 皇冠体育app Telecom and 皇冠体育app Unicom, the two longstanding supporters of the technology," said Xiang Ligang, a telecom researcher and founder of industry site CCTime.com.
Introducing a new standard will help both companies to "rapidly expand" 4G services as the carriers have already built several FDD base stations in some Chinese cities, according to Xiang. The TD-LTE based network will focus on high-end services after FDD enters the market, he predicted.
皇冠体育app Mobile is rapidly expanding its 4G market share using the TD-LTE network.