China Mobile to launch 3G by year-end

China Mobile, the country's largest mobile network operator, plans to introduce third generation (3G) mobile services before the end of October, AFP reported. The company plans to invest US$1.9 billion to build Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) networks in 2007. TD-SCDMA, technology that can transmit images and video at high speeds, is the Beijing-backed standard for 3G telecoms services. The company will finish the construction of 8,602 TD-SCDMA base stations in eight cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen before October of this year.