Research in Motion is pushing for its BlackBerry line to expand to 3G in China. And it may make a serious impact. It is very much a more usable business mobile than its obvious rival the iPhone. (On a personal note all the children in he writer’s very extended family use Blackberries. They think they are faster and easier to use for SMS —- short messaging. The writer is the one stand-out.)
In a new note to investors, research analyst Shaw Wu with Kaufman said while Apple has garnered a great deal of media coverage during its lengthy negotiations with China Mobile, RIM has quietly been working on its own deal with China Telecom.
While the wireless carrier is the smallest of the "Big 3" in China, Wu said he believes the provider is a good fit for RIM as it prepares to offer more devices in the market. He believes an announcement of a deal could be made as soon as February 2010.
Apple Insider reports that while China Mobile has an estimated 498 million subscribers, China Telecom has only 42 million. But China Telecomhas a strong customer base in enterprise and government, the market segment that might be likely to opt for the BlackBerry.