The TD-LTE technology continues to make progress into the 4G mainstream, although China Mobile remains its driving force. The operator will kick off its first major tender for LTE terminals this month, and is also pushing forward its roaming deal with Clearwire in the US.
Mobile is still officially operating a test network and may not get full 4G operating licences for another two years. Nonetheless, it is ‘testing’ TD-LTE in 13 cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, and plans to introduce at least 10 smartphones for the networks by mid-2013, and 100 by 2014. It aims to roll out 200,000 base stations by next year which ‘stretches the definition of what a trial is’, as Ric Clark, an Asia-Pacific VP at Alcatel-Lucent, told TelecomAsia.
It does have a fully licensed network in its Hong Kong subsidiary. Here, Ericsson and ZTE have won a deal to supply TD-LTE networks for China Mobile HK. This will run in the 2.3GHz band, alongside the cellco’s existing FD-LTE system, also supplied by Ericsson, in 2.6GHz. The company recently carried out roaming and interoperability tests between its FDD network and the TD-LTE RANs of its mainland parent. China Mobile HK expects to launch dual-mode LTE services by the end of the year.
Tiger Lin, chairman of the international division, said in a statement: ‘Our goal is to make a converged LTE TDD/FDD market in which our subscribers roam between a TD-LTE network and a LTE FDD network at affordable cost and enjoy the benefit of LTE service globally.’
The cellco is reported to be initiating its tender for 100,000 TD-LTE device units this month as it seeks to stick to its ambitious schedule. Its procurement subsidiary, China Mobile Terminal Company, is looking to secure 3,000 TD-LTE data cards, 6,000 personal hotspots and 1,000 CPE units, according to Chinese portal CCID. Some of those CPEs are likely to be handsets though the 10 smartphones are likely to be part of a second wave tender.
Meanwhile, China Mobile and Clearwire have signed their promised memorandum of understanding to enable TD-LTE roaming between China and the US, with other TDD operators expected to join soon. The companies already have a far-reaching partnership on TD-LTE device design and procurement, and other activities aimed at stimulating a global ecosystem, and saving Mobile from being stuck in a network dead end as it is with its TD-SCDMA 3G platform.
Under the latest MOU, China Mobile International and Clearwire will ‘define and institute the process necessary to support international roaming and to ensure the operators’ systems and devices are able to support roaming’, examining both the technical and business aspects. The companies also expect this agreement to serve as a blueprint for future roaming agreements with other members of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI), which represents carriers round the world. Both operators are deploying LTE in 2.5GHz spectrum though Mobile is also refarming other bands in China.