No schedule for 3G licenses, China says

China's government hasn't decided on a timetable for issuing high-speed cellphone service licenses, a government minister said.

"We're aware that from time to time, there are some people or companies talking about when we're going to give the licenses," said Xi Guohua (奚國華), Vice Minister of Information Industry (MII), in an interview in Hainan Island yesterday. "The government hasn't made a final decision on that."

Last month, China's National Business Daily reported the nation may issue 3G licenses at 20 billion yuan (US$2.4 billion) each to China Mobile Ltd (中國移動), China Network Communications Corp (中國網通) and China Telecom Corp (中國電信) after an industry revamp. China has six telecommunication operators including China Mobile, China Unicom Ltd (中國聯通), China Telecom, China Network, China Tietong Group Co (中國鐵通) and China Satellite Communication Corp (中國衛通).

The MII will submit a final proposal on so-called third generation services sometime this year to the State Council, the country's highest governing body, Chen Jinqiao, a director of telecommunication policy at the ministry, said on March 2 in Beijing.

"On the final choice, we'll be neutral and that will be a purely commercial business decision," Xi said.

China had 334.8 million cellphone subscribers at the end of December, according to government statistics.