3G related industries enjoy sales momentum

By Tu Lei

The development of 3G technology has revitalized related domestic mobile handset and PC wireless equipment industries, according to a report released yesterday by Founder Securities.

China’s 3G-related industries have shown an upward trend since the technology became available, with related equipment such as mobile phones and wireless PC cards expected to see 400 billion yuan ($58.55 billion) in sales volume over three years, the report revealed.

Customization requirements by mobile phone users have become a trend since 3G boosted user popularity, placing higher demands on manufacturers and designers, according to the report.

Xiang Ligang, CEO of Beijing Feixianghudong Culture & Communication, told the Global Times yesterday that the mobile handset industry chain including chips, display screens, and Webcams were all benefiting from the growing 3G business.

“New technology is bringing opportunities to the industry, but some firms will die and some will expand as 3G triggers more demand,” Xiang said.

The sales volume of 3G handsets reached 100,000 units since China Telecom launched its commercial trial of the technology in mid-April, with 1 million 3G wireless cards sold during the same period, reported the Communications Weekly newspaper Wednesday.

Sino-Market Research predicted that the 3G market will see sales peak in the second half of the year.

A total of 5 million handsets, 5.5 million wireless cards and 1.8 million netbooks are expected, according to the Communications Weekly report.

Currently, China Telecom, the third largest telecom operator in terms of net profit, has mapped 3G services in 400 cities and regions and plans to order 3 million customized 3G handsets at the price of around 1,000 yuan ($146.36) each for its customers in the middle of July, the report stated.

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