Analysts anticipated an earlier issue of 4G licenses from the Chinese government. Miao Wei, the minister of industry and information technology, said in March last year that the authorities will begin approving 4G licenses in about two to three years. But in a September interview, Miao said the licenses will be ready for issue in one year.
"We expect the government to issue 4G permits in the second half of this year," said Ji Chendong, a telecom analyst at KPMG. It is very likely that China Telecom Corp Ltd, the nation's smallest mobile operator, will also get a TD-LTE 4G license, he said.
"There are still many obstacles for China Mobile to overcome. For example, the company should further encourage the development of 4G devices, design service contracts and determine pricing strategies," Ji said.
In a June interview last year, Xi Guohua, chairman of China Mobile Ltd, said use of TD-LTE networks will take off and expand at a rapid pace once 4G-capable devices are widespread.
"The lack of TD-LTE devices could hamper the company's 4G rollout," Xi said.
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