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China Mobile has been talking to airlines about providing passengers with
mobile services during flights, Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's chairman, said
ysesterday.
The world's biggest mobile carrier is also seeking to acquire
telecommunication assets overseas but prices are still "too high," Wang said in
an interview during the Expo-sponsored ICT and Urban Development Forum in Ningbo
yesterday.
"We have talked with air carriers and the current process is waiting for the
approval of industry regulators," Wang said. At present, Shenzhen Airlines
provides such services on several flights. But this is the first time a major
telecommunications carrier has announced plans to expand into the in-flight
services sector.
China Mobile had 539 million users by the end of March - about 70 percent of
the total handset users in China.
The company, which has said it will buy a 12 percent stake in Taiwan's Far
EasTone Communications and has invested in Hong Kong and Pakistan, said it was
eyeing acquisitions in the global market.
"We are seeking overseas M&A (mergers and acquisitions) opportunities
now," said Wang. "But the telecommunications asset price is still high."
In January last year, China issued 3G licenses to carriers, including China
Mobile, to allow users access to high-speed data services, such as video calls
and film downloads, via their handsets.
China Mobile has talked with chip designers and hardware manufacturers,
including ASUS, about launching entry-level smart phones based on TD-SCDMA (time
division-synchronous code division multiple access), the home-grown 3G standard
operated by China Mobile.
Each phone would cost less than 1,000 yuan (US$147).
China Mobile is also talking to Apple Inc to introduce the iPad in the
domestic market.
The company is testing 4G technology, said to be 10 to 20 times faster than
3G, at the World Expo 2010 site.
China Mobile will choose three cities for further tests and trial commercial
use later, Wang said. |
