China plans to issue 3G licenses

CHINA will publish its long-awaited policies on third-generation telecommunications, assign frequencies and grant licenses next year, Wang Xudong, head of the Ministry of Information Industry, told a conference in Beijing yesterday.Though industry insiders have long been predicting that 3G technology would be employed next year, Wang's remarks represented the first formal announcement of a timetable by a high-level official.The minister also reported that China's phone users will increase by almost half to 1 billion in 2010, and that the information-technology sector will generate 2.26 trillion yuan (US$280 billion), accounting for 10 percent of the country's total gross domestic product, thanks to the emerging 3G market.[ ShanghaiDaily.com ]