China plans to issue 4G licenses this year

China's telecom operators may start receiving licenses this year to offer services on fourth-generation mobile phone network, a minister said. "China has made breakthroughs in R&D of 4G technologies but is still facing restrictions in commercial use," Information Technology Industry Minister Miao Wei was quotes by China's official news agency Xinhua. He stressed the need to speed up base station construction and provide more terminal products for the new high-speed mobile service that promises maximum Internet speed several times faster than that of 3G. "We will promulgate supporting policies at an appropriate time to guide the construction and development of the 4G network," Miao said. Hangzhou and Wenzhou in east China's Zhejiang province last month launched a 4G mobile phone network for commercial use on a trial basis, allowing subscribers there to access the service with an $80 deposit, the report said. China Mobile, the country's largest mobile operator, uses Time Division Long Term Evolution, one of two international standards, for the 4G network, the report said. With the advancement in the technology, 4G wireless cards and 4G mobile phones are expected to be ready for commercial use this year, the report said. The minister also said China will further encourage private investment in the telecom industry. Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.