Editorial Summary

Ministry of Industry and Information (MII) director Li Yizhong has ordered China Mobile (NYSE: CHL, 941.HK) to report daily to the MII on the development of TD-SCDMA projects, reports IT-Times citing unnamed sources. According to the report, Li has asked China Mobile to provide specifics including exact timelines and names of people involved in solving any problems that are discovered. China Mobile is expected to purchase a total of 200,000 TD-SCDMA terminals in the second round of TD-SCDMA equipment purchases that began on May 23.

China Mobile intends to donate 100,000 TD-SCDMA terminals complete with UIM cards, RMB 180 in mobile fees, and six Olympic functions to volunteers serving at the Beijing Olympics, reports The Beijing News quoting China Mobile chairman and CEO Wang Jianzhou. The mobile operator has invested around RMB 15 billion in TD-SCDMA trial network construction, building 14,688 base stations in eight cities including Beijing and Shanghai, said the report. China Mobile plans to build more than 500 additional base stations before the Games begin in August.

Wang said 20,000 TD-SCDMA terminals will be reserved for foreign traveler experience, and details on TD-SCDMA handset rentals, targeting foreign Olympic spectators, will be released in July. China Mobile partnered with Samsung to donate 15,000 TD-SCDMA handsets and RMB 3 million in mobile fees to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) on April 28.