China, the world's biggest mobile phone market, is keeping the telecoms industry guessing about when it will pick a technology for third-generation service amid questions about cost and effectiveness.
Put off partly by controversy in Europe over 3G, regulators are wary of letting China's phone companies invest in technology that they worry could soon be obsolete.
The delay is a disappointment for suppliers who thought Beijing was poised to create huge opportunities to replace and upgrade equipment for 250 million Chinese customers.
"Originally I thought that a decision would be made before the end of this year," said Irwin Jacobs, chief executive of US supplier Qualcomm, Inc. "It's clear that will now go into next year."
Regulators are weighing whether to let its four major operators pick their own technology or to make that choice for them, Jacobs said during a recent visit to Beijing.
Third-generation networks are expected to offer faster delivery of data and pictures. But operators across Europe have slowed the launch of 3G amid questions about demand for the services and delays in the arrival of phones.
China is testing competing systems known by such arcane names as CDMA2000 and Wideband CDMA. Complicating matters further, Beijing is trying to develop its own standard -- known as TD-SCDMA -- so that it won't have to pay for foreign technology.
Suppliers say despite tests showing that 3G can be integrated into China's existing network, regulators aren't sure devices based on that standard are ready or worth the money.
Regulators are uneasy about controversy in Europe and elsewhere over auctions of 3G licenses, with some operators complaining about their cost or conditions.
"The auction process [in Europe] should have promoted 3G, but it complicated some factors and actually stopped the growth of 3G," said Wen Ku, an official of China's telecommunications regulator, the Ministry of Information Industry.
"Due to the overall economic slowdown, 3G development has also been adversely affected," he said.
Suppliers insist their technology is ready to go. And they say the numbers of subscribers abroad signing up for 3G services show that the investment is justified.
Jacobs of Qualcomm said he expected China to release a report on 3G radio frequencies in September next year. But he said regulators might announce a choice before then.
China's timing could be influenced by the introduction of 3G in Japan and Europe, said the chief executive of another supplier, Frank Dunn of Nortel Networks.
"In China," Dunn said, "they will be closely monitoring the developments in Asia as well as western Europe."
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Taiwan yesterday advanced to the gold medal match of the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 for the first time in history, despite last night losing 9-6 to Japan. Taiwan advanced after the US defeated Venezuela in the first game on the last day of the Super Round. However, the US had no chance of advancing to the championship game unless it defeated Venezuela by at least nine points. The US won 6-5. As a result, the two teams — who both had one win and two losses in the Super Round — are to face off again in the
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
FREEDOM CURTAILED: The conviction of 45 democracy advocates proves the ‘unworkability’ of Beijing’s ‘one country, two systems’ model, the Presidential Office said Taiwan yesterday condemned China over the jailing of 45 Hong Kong activists, saying “democracy is not a crime.” The government “strongly condemned the Chinese government’s use of judicial measures and unfair procedures to suppress the political participation and freedom of speech of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. International condemnation of the jailings has been swift, with the US, Australia and rights groups slamming the sentencing as evidence of the erosion of political freedoms in the territory since Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020. Yesterday’s sentencing “not only breaks the promises of ‘50