Dual Network Roaming Coming to China Shortly

Testing has begun on a GSM handset that could be used on the Xiaolingtong limited mobility networks in China., allowing roaming between the two networks. The Xiaolingtong networks, known locally as personal access system (PAS) are operated by the land-line carriers China Telecom and China Netcom.

An agency authorized by the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) is testing the new phone, a ministry spokesman told the official China Daily newspaper. The regulations surrounding the authorisation of new telecoms hardware has recently been relaxed by the ministry which has lead to speculation that the dual-network handset may not be as robust as previously required and the regulations were changed to allow it to be launched.

A dual network handset would enable users to use the low cost PAS network when in coverage and then switch to the generally more expensive GSM network when traveling between cities.

UTStarcom, a leading manufacturer of Xiaolingtong equipment declined to comment as to whether it is the company providing the dual network handsets. However, UTStarcom said in March it would roll out a crossover phone running on Xiaolingtong and GSM networks this year.

An earlier story by Reuters cited a UTStarcom spokesman as saying the crossover phones made by UTStarcom would cost about the same as mid to high-end single-band phones.

Xiaolingtong has attracted more than 16 million Chinese customers, with an expectation of 25 million subscribers by the end of this year.

There is still the commercial issue of signing interconnection agreements with the GSM carriers - and it can be expected that neither Unicom nor China Mobile will be keen to sign roaming agreements with an urban network that could easily eat into their most lucrative markets."

Posted to the site on 30th June 2003