 |
Telecom Giant Plans I-mode Internet
China Unicom, an emerging player in the telecommunications service sector, is planning to introduce a new mobile Internet service like what Japan's i-mode provides, reported China Daily Business Weekly.
China Unicom may imitate Japan-based NTT DoCoMo's i-mode, a mass-market mobile data service that offers ticket booking services and other information to mobile phone users.
"We are conducting feasibility research to see how we can initiate such a mobile Internet service," said Zhang Fan, director of the mobile communications department of China Unicom.
The company's i-mode proposal came after the narrow-band CDMA cellular phone system project seemed likely to be called off.
The NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is at the center of Japan's high-tech industry. The company has signed up about six million i-mode customers since February last year.
But, Zhang said that China Unicom may have some difficulties in duplicating i-mode in China because his company and NTT DoCoMo are based on different mobile networks.
China Unicom aimed to expand the number of its WAP (wireless application protocol) pilot-project cities from 20 to 50 by the end of the year.
China Unicom and China Mobile are both offering WAP service, which enables mobile phone users to log onto the Internet, on a trial basis.
"Time is still needed for users to surf the Internet via mobile phone, given the narrow band-width and lack of content support for the present," said Zhang.
He added his company will better co-operate with the Internet content providers to offer quality WAP service.
China Unicom, about to go public on the stock markets in New York and Hong Kong, is expected to announce the final pricing of its initial public offering (IPO) early this week, according to reports.
Zhang said the company's development strategy in the near term lies in the expansion of GSM mobile network.
China Unicom plans to spend 28.9 billion yuan (about US$3.48 billion) on mobile communications this year, expanding its network capacity by 16.46 million lines. Meanwhile, the number of mobile phone subscribers with China Unicom will grow by 8.4 million to 13.63 million this year.
In This Section
|