3G before examination

Li Yunjie/text

3G licence in China, this is the global telecommunications industry and the media attention and look forward to many years of the day, is the media didn't think this day was more quiet. On January 7, there is no press conference, Ministry of industry and information technology, low-key release of the three 3G (third generation mobile communications) licence, of which China Mobile will get a TD-SCDMA licence, will respectively be WCDMA and CDMA2000 to China Unicom and China Telecom licence.

This economic downturn, 3G licensing also self-evident is given to the important task of stimulating domestic demand. On the eve of the licensing, miit Minister Li Yizhong said the three carriers in the next two years 3G at least 200 billion. 3G will pull some domestic demand-the most direct beneficiaries is looking forward to start 3G years of communications industry chain downstream businesses. Again as for indirect drive much of domestic demand, there is still time to verify.

Globally, 3G official business for 8 years time, its development process is not the wind Shun. 3G users currently accounts for only 10% number of global mobile users, and already have a 3G network truly profitable in the world now, in the first half of last year, Hutchison telecommunication 3G profit it expected to adjust time again from 2008 to 2009 year. Relative to the 3G early a few big parts of the world, China is a relatively late start 3G country. 3G in China can gain mastery by striking only after the enemy has struck? For now, at least three: a lion in front 3G.

First question: can TD afford heavy?

Following one of the main reasons for the delayed issuance of 3G license, is believed to be waiting for TD industry matured and improved. 3G licensed now, people can't help but worry about: TD matured yet?

If starting from the beginning of last April trial, TD, before the official licensing has "run" for 9 months, but the reactions coming from outside, the effect is not very satisfactory. According to the relevant agency surveys, user feedback of the main terminal poor stability and feature does not improve were found including crashes, reboots, network slow, not charging, poor after-sales service issues, and handset "looks almost", poor quality but also the user does not like to use TD service one of the main reasons. China Mobile on TD also showed lack of confidence, such as China Mobile said on many occasions the leadership of the hardships and problems of the TD.

Such a situation, with three licences issued for TD promotion will undoubtedly face a huge challenge. According to informed sources, prior to the licensing, is sufficient for TD prepared, the licensing of the time is ripe, is first with TD or 3 3G licences and other issues, there has been controversy. Expert analysis, the Ministry so low-key licensed, or related to this.

However, open bow did not turn arrow, after licensing, TD has already placed two outside and two more mature standard WCDMA and CDMA2000 are on the same starting line.

"From the face of external pressures of public opinion in China Mobile turned to have to face on the development of internal pressure, they need to compete by TD in the area of 3G. "Research Institute of the Ministry of telecommunications a extension of for many years engaged in industrialization of TD expert correspondent in an interview, said that the 3G licence issued for the development of TD is not necessarily bad news, but can be a powerful impetus.

Try for TD commercial stage by some user feedback �C Terminal quality problems, also have network coverage and optimization problems, these problems were considered "must go through this step", because the initial stage of construction of any mobile network, a site covering less difference, need continuous network optimization and compensation Yes inevitable objective process.

The expert believed that from the perspective of technology and capacity, TD is not two two standards weaker than the other, the main difference is that on the industrial chain and product maturity. "TD only commercial, to mature. ��

In fact, in recent months in moving from "hard enough" to "vigorously promote" post, TD's condition continues to improve. It is understood that currently has completed construction of 10 cities TD network coverage to reach 95% in the same regional 2G network coverage, voice connect above 95%, call drop rate to 3.6%. In the development of TD users, as of early L2, China Mobile TD about 340,000 social test and trial users.

However, consumers are most concerned about problems of TD-SCDMA mobile terminals, room for improvement. "Terminal industry mainly decided is economies of scale, initial users less TD Terminal is still facing the same problems cost this high. "But experts believe that Terminal problems must be resolved as soon as possible, if the Terminal problem solving is not good, affect the TD market image.

The good news is that Government support and move on to TD TD, attracting domestic and foreign well-known mobile communication device and handset manufacturers support TD industry in terms of inputs, including first-tier manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson increased input into the TD Terminal.

After by many experts to assess the current TD, reached the conclusion that: is technically successful, industrialization was also successful, but its ultimate success must be successful in the market. "The next key to solve this problem, either from the Government on supporting policies, also is on the operator's own policy, there will be a lot of things promote it. ��

In the expert's view, China Mobile TD, it was certainly not as better as just days before, but to force it to on that share, it must also work hard, and through a series of policy measures to leverage pry, with China Mobile must have to really fight to do it.

Prior to the licensing, the three operators have submitted to the Ministry of industry and information technology for their 3G business development feasibility study report. After the 3G licensing, General Manager of China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou table determined to say also: "TD-SCDMA with core intellectual property in our country will enter a new stage of development. China Mobile will further promote the development of independent innovation, TD-SCDMA responsibility, go all out to improving the work of construction and operation of TD-SCDMA. "At a time of licensing, China Mobile officially launched 3G brand identity, G3 and the new segment.

TD-SCDMA after a standard raise to ten years have passed away now, gave strong support to countries and attention. From the perspective of national strategic level, take the road of independent innovation have firm policies, TD is the only way, "success, not only failed! "(Li Yizhong, Minister of industry and information technology).

If you stand in this highly, only successful TD, 3G to be successful in China.

Second question: "killer" where is the application?

Whether it's TD, WCMDA and CDMA2000, normal user is not of concern these technical standards, as one friend says: "users really care about is to apply, experience, and price, not hoodwinked concept of 2G, 3G".

Telecommunications expert Wang Yuquan believes that operators are now talking about pushing 3G, 3G, essentially stating, there is no mood for use on the user's needs, and able to grasp the needs of users, before deciding on the key to the future success or failure on the 3G. So, 3G where is the market demand in China? 3G and 2G of short message service can appear comparable killer application? These were 3G industry as a whole chain of the urgent need to study and resolve.

According to the mobile Internet has become the development trend of mobile business. To promote 3G the most successful in Japan, for example, by the end of 2007, Japan has reached more than 82 million mobile Internet users as a whole, accounting for mobile communication user 87% of the total number, indicating that Japan 87% of the mobile user is mobile Internet users. Such a high proportion of fully reflects the significance of the development of mobile Internet for 3G.

And according to the Ministry of industry and information technology, telecommunications and Research Institute publication October 2008 data show that scale of Chinese mobile phone users a total of 616 million households, mobile Internet users has reached 84.5 million, that is, No 14% mobile Internet users in Chinese mobile phone users. Research Institute of the Ministry of telecommunications experts believe that this is due to technology bottlenecks limit 2G time, caused by slow mobile Internet mobile Internet to rapid development. Now 3G broke through the technical bottlenecks, mobile Internet has real Internet can be completely displayed on the handset.

In the view of 3G Portal CEO Deng Yuqiang, and the "3G is simply the mobile broadband. "We have seen the combination of web2.0 and the emergence of broadband, contribute greatly to the prosperity of the Internet and after 3G, a new service platform, the platform is a combination of Web2.0 and mobile broadband, mobile Internet will be of great development. 3G development has proved this point. 3G of foreign carriers operating from the beginning of 2007 improved, mainly because of the value of mobile Internet applications become clear.

If the last two years, some of the world's famous 3G operator has launched a mobile Internet service. As a subsidiary of Hutchison 3 Group Launches X-Series mobile broadband services, first monthly broadband access to the Internet, providing services including MSN, Google/Yahoo! Search, Internet applications such as Skype, mobile blog; established operators Vodafone and AT&T respectively in Europe, the United States launched a mobile version of Myspace mobile community service, Vodafone also provided in cooperation with Youtube video sharing business; Japan KDDI in cooperation with Google that allows users to search for Internet content on mobile phones, let users can also use GMAIL on mobile phone mailbox, mailbox capacity, and even can be 2GB.

In addition, the mobile terminal manufacturers and Internet companies to create a mobile Internet application also promote innovation mode on the mobile Internet boom. 2007 Apple launched the iPhone, using strong into business models, challenges carriers, also becoming a tipping point for mobile Internet; Amazon Kindle electronic reader "ignition", a book can be downloaded in a minute, has also been viewed as the mobile Internet era "burn book revolution."

3G user's fast-growing mobile Internet on the back, was a lot of people as the killer application of the 3G era. Vigorously pushing the mobile Internet in China Mobile, China Telecom vendors from the present "Internet phone" number, operators have been positioned on the mobile Internet thinking, however, about how to advance, carrier itself what was the role is still unknown.

"Mobile Internet is an emerging area, concepts and technical system just shout out now, and really mature of broad application may want to at least ten years later," Academy of the Ministry of telecommunications experts said above, and for mobile Internet applications is a complex and competitive situation in the future, who can in the grasp, ten years later who is boss.

Third question: regulatory policy can advance with the times?

How to break the monopoly, promote competition, has been the hot topics of China communication operation market. It can be said that the Telecom restructuring, 3G license but also to break the monopoly of operators, to promote market liberalisation. "From a practical monopoly markets to competition three", which was seen as a significant step forward. After the 3G licensing, in order to prevent recurrence of 2G operators in the era of "a single" the imbalance, miit Minister Li Yizhong has recently made it clear that, using asymmetric control to create a standardized, fair competition order.

Specification, and fair of competition order, also including how solution operators both do referees and do athletes, using master of mobile communications platform on foreign of information service and other business take suppressed and row different of non-market practices, for example, previously independent WAP website has been was China Mobile seen as is mobile dream network of competition opponent, was be various limit, this caused has independent WAP website were collective protest, and appeal on mobile Internet of supervision right became clear. Analysts believe that, once the mobile Internet regulatory uncertainty, the parties are laws, duties and responsibilities, and independent WAP site status will be legal recognition, mobile Internet to flourish.

A long time, mobile network closure led to a SP/CP least the discourse power in the telecom industry chain, restricted the development of Telecom value-added business, this does not meet the requirement of 3G. Therefore, many people in the open call for accelerated mobile Internet. "Only move to openness on the Internet, a large number of applications and services to rise quickly, 3G would have hoped. ��

Abroad in the last two years promoting the 3G of emergence of new practices in market competition. First, issue a permit to operate a new, introduce telecommunications operators other than the operation of wireless Internet service, such as the United States issued the 700MHz band, the successful tenderer in addition to traditional telecom carrier, most other companies such as FrontierWireless and CoxWireless have operational background of radio and television network. Second, open network, introduces MVNO (virtual network operator). Japan telecom regulatory body announced in May 2008, requests for NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank Mobile operators to the virtual network operator (MVNO) public network rental fees and lease conditions. Japan telecom regulatory body that makes open network more transparent. Made in Hong Kong in recent 3G tender programme in China: to open 30% of network resources to the virtual network operator. Virtual network operator through the full use of network resources, you can accelerate development of Telecom value-added services. By contrast, in the area of promoting the opening of the telecommunications market in China, can be said to be in its infancy.

In addition, telecom regulators also face "supervision first" issue. In the 2G era, the Government implemented "single supervision", that is, only the management of telecommunications networks and the Internet, and the regulatory fragmentation, such as Ministry, telecommunication networks and the Internet, and radio and television network of radio tube. In the 3G era, a large number of business would be triple the business, many of them business, Telecom Regulation is does not have administrative permissions. For such a business, requires coordination of the various departments, because there is no legislation assurance. It is learnt that the Ministry is actively developing "three networks" convergence uniform standards. However, cross-sector supervision under the existing institutional barriers, directly involve the interests of different sectors, to achieve effective together is difficult.