Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[khemara_qc]

China faces video calling issues at 3G trials
June 2, 2004

The trial of 3G technologies in China ran into interoperability problems according to a senior official at the Ministry of Information Industry (MII). Director-general at MII Wen Ku admitted poor terminals could hamper the growth of 3G telecommunication in the country.

"The network is far ahead of the terminals and applicable terminals are not many," Wen said at a telecoms conference in Beijing.

Picture and voice were transmitted out of sequence during video calls. Some conversations only transmitted voice but not the picture while some others was the opposite, picture but no sound.

"With two phones, after you insert a SIM card and make a video call, they don't work."

The trials will continue until the end of September. China has not set a timetable for the awarding of 3G mobile phone licenses or specified the number of licenses to be awarded.

Lou Qinjian, vice-minister at MII, reiterated that market conditions would determine the awarding of licenses and China would not be making the same mistakes as some European and Asian countries.

"We are to learn from the experiences in European and Asian countries while releasing licences," he said.

Lou added that operators will be allowed to choose 3G standards in line with their development strategies.


http://www.3gnewsroom.com/3g_news/jun_04/news_4558.shtml