The Chinese government combined the six main wireless providers into three companies to boost competition in the industry and give itself
better footing in the third-generation wireless services sector, which facilitates the downloading of music and video. Now, the country has
ordered its three giant telecom operators to share and co-build infrastructure to avoid repeat construction in the wake of industry restructuring, China Daily reports.
The new Big 3, China Telecommunications Corp. Ltd., China Network Communications Group Corp. Ltd. and China Mobile Ltd., must open existing telecom towers and lines to rivals -- if conditions are not ready for sharing, operators should expand and adjust their technologies, China Daily cited a circular from regulators as saying.
The AP notes
China is the world's biggest mobile phone market by number of subscribers with more than 590 million accounts. China Mobile holds most of those accounts by a long shot. As Money Morning reported, 3G providers such as Paris-based Alcatel-Lucent, Finland's Nokia Corp., China's Huawei Technologies Co. and Ericsson Telefon AB LM are hoping for a shot at what could be windfall profits via contracts with China's new Big 3. -
Baz HiralalGo to the story from China DailySee the article from the APChina Mobile peers play catch up, China catching up with 3GAlso see our Telecom sector deal roundup:
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