In case you miss it, these are NOT TD-SCDMA handsets as far as I can tell: <China Telecom (NYSE: CHA, 728.HK) has purchased 5 million customized CDMA handsets from telecom equipment providers including Samsung, ZTE (000063.SZ, 0763.HK), Hisense (600060.SH) and Amoi (600057.SH), reports xinhuanet.com. China Telecom purchased 1 million phones from Samsung, 900,000 from ZTE (000063.SZ, 0763.HK), 500,000 from Hisense (600060.SH) and 20,000 smart phones -- with a market price of RMB 3,000 -- from Amoi (600057.SH). LG and China Wireless Technologies Limited (2369.HK) subsidiary Yulong Computer Communication Technology also won CDMA phone contracts from the telecom operator. >
5 million handsets is not even $1 billion, so of piffling interest. However, a single footstep shows a trend. If the footstep heads west instead of east, it is worth considering that the next thousand steps might be in the same direction. Dancing involves many changes of direction, so perhaps it's just a China-style minuet. en.wikipedia.org
Oh, yes, a countervailing trend right here: < Dinsdag 2 september 2008, 09:55 - China Mobile plans to start testing a mobile broadband system based on TD-LTE (Time Division Duplex Long Term Evolution) technology, but a lack of chipsets stands in the way, the company's top executive said Tuesday.
"We hope to start testing very soon," said Wang Jianzhou, China Mobile's chairman and CEO, on the sidelines of the ITU Telecom Asia 2008 exhibition in Bangkok. >
A lack of chipsets is sometimes considered an issue in cyberphone technology circles. Perhaps in China they will sell them with click beetles instead of chips, but looking like the real thing.
Ah, but wait, there's hope. Qualcomm saves the day and if China wants to stay in the telecom dark ages up a blind alley, it's not for me to refuse their money: <Mobile phone chip maker Qualcomm and other companies are working on chipsets with TD-LTE and LTE-FDD on board, Wang said. The ability of chipsets to support both technologies will also allow greater roaming across countries using the different technologies in their networks. A Verizon subscriber, for example, wouldn't have to switch handsets if they visited China, if chipsets carried both technologies. >
There is a reason why a cyberphone should be built with multiple modes = political gerry-mandering of technology standards to keep captive millions and in China's case billions of state-controlled serfs. The Euroserfs are locked up in W-CDMA/HSPA etc, but they did contrive to get the expensive W-CDMA standard established while CDMA was battling to gain a foothold. China is trying the same trick with TD-SCDMA, just as Japan tried it with their obsolete PHS TDMA efforts.
I'm happy to help China miss out on the stupendously vast CDMA2000/EV-DO/OFDMA technology trajectory opportunity if that's what they want to do. It's unfortunate for the regular bloke on the street, but that's life in self-aggrandizing politics.
I'll sell them TD-SCDMA, CDMA2000, EV-DO, W-CDMA, HSPA, LTE, OFDMA, and in 450MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 2GHz and don't forget they are already buying Globalstar at 2.3GHz, not to mention Wi-Fi. If they want WiMax too, I'll sell them that as well.
Message 24900198
Recommendation = wave away with flick of wrist. Buy gold at, right now, $798. Buy SKF at $110. Disclosure... I am still to buy $20 million of SKF having covered my $40 million $131 short at under $110 today, so you should get in ahead of me. Message 24900638 On the other hand, if you wish to buy a tranche or wallop at $110, let me know and I'll consider shorting some to you. One should be sporting. [I miss Zim the Amazing]
Noblesse oblige, Virtuous Victorian Values, Gung Ho,
Mqurice
PS: The naked Aztecs must be thrilled to see gold at under $800 - the same price available over quarter of a century ago, which seems like yesterday, strangely. Fancy being able to look back over such tranche-sized periods of time. One could start to feel sage-like.
The Aztecs can top up their $1000 purchases with a LOT more at $800. They are lucky to get such an opportunity. With luck they'll be able to buy even more at $700 soon enough, or even $600 if they wait a while. |
