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To: surfbaron who wrote (107060)	10/16/2001 11:20:47 AM
From: JohnG	Respond to of 152472

Unicom CDMA capacity is 15MM lines as of end of 2001 and 50MM lines within 3 Years per article. (Unicom's) CDMA network to be ready in October (2001/10/12)(China Daily)(Hou Mingjuan) China's first CDMA (code division multiple access) network is expected to be completed by the end of the month, with trial operation starting as early as the end of this year, China Unicom sources said. "The network would be the best among all its counterparts," said Lu Jianguo, vice-president of China Unicom, constructor of the network and also the country's second biggest mobile carrier. Boasting the world's largest mobile telecoms market with 125 million users, China, together with its CDMA network, has become the focus of the global telecoms industry. As a competitor of the GSM (global system for mobile communications) network, which supports almost all Chinese mobile users, CDMA is said to be more efficient, of higher quality and safer for users. The construction of Unicom's CDMA network has proceeded smoothly and is expected to finish by the end of the month. After two months of equipment and operation testing, trial operation would begin, Lu revealed. The kick-off would most likely take place sometime between New Year's Day and Spring Festival, which falls on February 12, he said. The first phase of construction would cover 300 cities and support 15 million users. The network would expand to become the world's largest within three years, supporting some 50 million users, Lu said. China Unicom's GSM network currently services 35 million users. With the network saturation of 50 million users soon to be reached, CDMA would become China Unicom's competitive edge over market giant China Mobile, which controls three-fourths of China's market, industry experts said. According to China Unicom's statistics, the investment of each CDMA user would be 1,600 yuan (US$193). The company has already poured in 24 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion) for the first phase of construction, and the total investment is estimated to top 80 billion yuan (US$9.7 billion) in three years. The company expects to earn back its huge investment in seven years. But its vice-president said the period would most likely be shortened. CDMA's charging standard would be the same as Unicom's GSM network: a 45 yuan (US$5.40) monthly base charge and a call rate of 0.36 yuan (4 US cents) per minute, according to Lu. China Unicom charges 10 per cent less than China Mobile. Unicom plans to target high-end users, many of whom already subscribe to GSM. High-end users use their mobile phones more often and CDMA's low radiation and high voice quality would be very attractive to them, Lu said. www1.chinadaily.com.cn