EngagingChina
has long since given up trying to predict when China might finally
launch long-delayed third generation mobile telecoms services. But its
revealing that a leading light in China's mobile industry is equally in
the dark.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Shi Jixing, vice-chairman of the China Mobile Communications Association, said officials had failed to set a unified policy on 3G, while routinely interfering in operators' strategic choices.
He went on to tell the pink 'un that Beijing was missing an opportunity for 3G networks to become a "telecoms powerhouse." I'm not so sure about the last statement.
After all, vendors such as Huawei and ZTE are already well known -- and increasingly feared -- in the 3G industry. For example, ZTE last month announced a contract win with Spain's Movistar to supply it with 3G phones boasting "the latest technology and features at a highly competitive price. " The opportunity has been grasped not missed, we would argue.
China's fledgling TD-SCDMA standard, which is likely to be favoured when 3G licences are finally awarded, is unlikely to find much application outside of China -- and manufacturers like ZTE know it.
Nevertheless, the desire to give TD-SCDMA's Chinese developers more time to make it work is seen as the main reason for delaying the introduction of 3G in China, which already has more than 400m mobile phone subscribers and adds millions more each month.
Mr Shi, the former head of a big telecoms equipment manufacturer, criticised this interference in the business of state-owned operators that did not want TD-SCDMA.
As the FT notes, it has all been said before, but such direct and trenchant criticism of China's policymakers from an industry insider is rare -- and reveals the extent of the industry's frustration.
