Taiwanese 3G mobile operator Vibo Telecom haw launched a trial TD-SCDMA network to coincide with a Chinese official’s visit to Taiwan to discuss how Taiwan and the Mainland can work more closely on developing technology standards.This is quite important as it is the first time the Mainland’s own system – TD-SCDMA (which stands for Time-Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) – has been used outside the Mainland.
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile network operator, is so far the only company in the world using the technology. The company has been working to expand use of TD-SCDMA abroad and has said test networks could soon be up and running in Japan and South Korea.
Taiwan’s Vibo launched the trial network in Taipei’s Neihu Technology Park, an area set aside by the government to house office buildings and research centers for high tech companies in Taiwan, a Vibo representative confirmed.
The chairman of China Mobile, Wang Jianzhou, has blamed a lack of lower-cost TD-SCDMA smartphones for the slow uptake of 3G subscriptions among customers in China. He hopes to see more smartphones priced around $147 on the market soon.
Computer World reports China Mobile boasted 513.5 million subscribers as of the end of October. The company’s goal is to reach 3 million 3G subscribers by the end of this year, up from the 2.3 million it reported last week.