China Mobile (0941) is expected to formally launch its 4G service in Guangzhou and Shenzhen by the end of this month at the earliest, Shanghai Securities News reported yesterday. Trial runs in the two cities have already started, the daily said.
Earlier this month, the domestic telecom giant began extensive tests of its 4G service in Hangzhou and Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, marking the introduction of 4G in China, the report said.
"Trials in Guangzhou and Shenzhen are close to commercial service level," it said.
By December, China Mobile had finished the construction of 3,700 4G base stations in Guangzhou and 2,800 in Shenzhen.
"The company's efforts to promote 4G services will benefit the industry for the long run and also create opportunities for related equipment maker and engineering firms," the paper quoted an analyst as saying.
China Mobile shares rose 0.88 percent to HK$85.95 yesterday as the firm said it enlisted 7.05 million new 3G customers in January - a monthly record.
China Unicom (0762) lured 3.67 million new 3G users last month while China Telecom Corporation (0728) attracted 3.01 million.
China Mobile's parent firm has appointed former secretary for commerce and economic development in Hong Kong Frederick Ma Si-hang as an external director.
Ma is also an independent non- executive director of Agricultural Bank of China (1288).
