Wi Jichuan, Minster of Information Industry, expressed September 25 that China hasn't considered granting licenses of the third generation (3G) cell phone at present.
He said the reason is that "time is not ripe for that."
He indicated that the opportunity for granting such licenses hasn't arrived, that there is still no fixed standard for the third generation mobile telecom technology, the third generation mobile telecom still lacks a business of scale and more time is needed to turn the current free use into compensated use of communication resources.
On the question regarding the entry of foreign capital into the field of Chinese telecom operation, Wu said that China will surely open the telecommunications sector in accordance with promises on its WTO entry and the relevant regulations issued prior to the entry.
(People's Daily)
