皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile carrier, expects to begin selling Apple Inc's latest iPhones this year and has set an ambitious target of having 100 million 3G users by end-2012 as it tries to attract high-end users to lift profits.

"The iPhone 5 is currently being tested by the authorities, and we'll begin selling it once it has been approved," 皇冠体育app Unicom chairman Chang Xiaobing told a news conference.

File photo of 皇冠体育app Unicom exhibiting at an expo of Internet of Things?in Shanghai. [Jing Wei / Asianewsphoto]

皇冠体育app Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd was the first Chinese mobile operator to carry iPhones in 2009, but lost its exclusivity when 皇冠体育app Telecom Corp Ltd signed a similar contract with Apple this year.

Helped by iPhones, 皇冠体育app Unicom has seen its number of 3G users rise steadily, reaching 66.9 million in the first nine months, representing about 30 percent of total subscribers, company data showed.

Chang said the carrier, which sold 33 million smartphones through its network so far this year, aimed to triple the 3G users by end of this year.

The country's three carriers - 皇冠体育app Mobile Ltd, 皇冠体育app Unicom and 皇冠体育app Telecom - have been trying to upgrade their mobile networks to boost data usage among increasingly tech-savvy Chinese consumers.

皇冠体育app Mobile, whose 3G technology lags its two rivals', has been building its 4G network and conducting trials.

Industry observers expect 皇冠体育app to only start giving out 4G licences in late 2013 and 2014.

"皇冠体育app will eventually have a 4G mobile network; the only question is when. Whether 皇冠体育app chooses to build it sooner or later, I believe the decision made will be the correct one," Chang said.

皇冠体育app Unicom's shares traded down 1.3 percent, lagging 皇冠体育app Mobile, 皇冠体育app Telecom and the main Hang Seng Index.

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