China Telecom Offers Free Mobile Internet Access As Prepares for 3G Launch

China Telecom, which recently took over the CDMA network formerly owned by China Unicom has started offering free mobile internet access as it prepares to roll out its 3G network upgrade in the capital city. The South China Morning Post reported that new subscribers will get between 20 and 50 megabytes of free internet usage per month, depending on their tariff.

The company also slashed call charges by up to 72 percent.

The network is expected to start offering 3G services in Beijing and Guangdong later this month. Industry sources say that the network will cover almost the entire of Beijing and that the Guangdong launch will include the commercially important Pearl River Delta.

The company is currently expanding its 3G coverage and aims to cover 100 cities by the end of this year.

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) minister Li Yizhong recently said that the networks are expected to spend as much as US$41 billion over the next two years building out their 3G networks - or upgrading their existing infrastructure. The development of the 3G networks could lead to US$290 billion in private-sector investment in the next two or three years, said Chen Jinqiao, deputy chief engineer of the MIIT's telecommunications research institute.

On the web: South China Morning Post

Posted to the site on 6th March 2009