14 DAY TRIAL // TD-SCDMA handsets created by Nokia will soon be coming to China, and it looks like the reign of exclusivity around this kind of handsets has ended for Samsung and LG, which have been, until now, the only foreign companies supplying China.
China Mobile's Chairman and Chief Executive Wang Jianzhou declared that their goals now were represented by making investments mainly in Asia and Africa. "Telecom assets in emerging markets have become very inexpensive. There's no reason for sellers to sell their assets at such a low price. We are trying to find some opportunities like when an operator needs money, maybe." Jianzhou explained.
After fully buying last year the Pakistan operator for $460 million and turning it into CMPak LTD., and after investing more than $400 million in expanding this network, China Mobile is now going to invest another $800 million in improving the network. It is, therefore, plain to see that the world's biggest telecom operator by subscribers is taking a lot of interest in making good investments before the financial crisis spreads to all continents and countries.
Regarding this matter, Wang Jianzhou also stated these plans were made taking into consideration the fact that the crisis would be affecting China Mobile, while also expressing his belief that all Asian companies would be affected as well. As a bonus, Wang stated that they were trying to get the iPhone to come to China, but without being able to offer details as to when that might happen.
The same day, another important figure, China Unicom's Chairman, Chang Xiaobing, stated that Beijing should start issuing third generation mobile licenses, since the restructuring of the telecommunication industry was over and such a measure would improve China's economic status.
Other reports have it that China's government will be merging six other companies in order to create two new companies that would constitute stronger competition for China Mobile, especially by providing the fixed-line and wireless nationwide services.