China Mobile Reveals TD-SCDMA Handset Subsidy Bidding Results
Xinhuanet, 5/17/09
On May 17, China Mobile (NYSE: CHL; 0941.HK) held a signing ceremony for subsidies targeted at joint TD-SCDMA handset R&D, with nine handset manufacturers and three chip manufacturers signing a "cooperative R&D" agreement. China Mobile will invest RMB 600 mln in the subsidies, driving total investment of over RMB 1.2 bln in TD-SCDMA R&D, with the remaining contributions coming from participating vendors.
6 joint bids won subsidies for China Mobile's "Flagship Broadband Internet Handset" project: Motorola and 3G chip manufacturer T3G; Samsung and T3G; mobile handset manufacturer Yulong and TD-SCDMA chipmaker Leadcore Technology; Smartphone manufacturer Dopod and T3G; LG Electronics and Leadcore; and ZTE and Leadcore. China Mobile will invest approximately RMB 310 mln in the project.
For the "Low Cost 3G Handset" project, the five successful bids were ZTE and Leadcore; LG and Leadcore; Hisense and wireless baseband chipset provider Spreadtrum Communications (Nasdaq: SPRD); Guangzhou New Postcom and Spreadtrum; and handset manufacturer Huawei and T3G. China Mobile will provide approximately RMB 290 mln of funding for this project.
Editor's Note: According to Chinese Internet portal Tencent Tech, China Mobile vice president Lu Xiangdong revealed that by 2010 the company plans to release a total of 42 "flagship broadband" TD-SCDMA handsets from the above terminal manufacturers and chip makers, of which 6 will be released by end of 2009, with each of the 6 terminal manufacturers producing one handset.
Keywords: 0941.HK 3G bidding China Mobile chipset CHL Dopod Hisense Huawei Leadcore LG Electronics Motorola Postcom R&D Samsung smartphone SPRD Spreadtrum subsidy T3G TD-SCDMA wireless Yulong ZTE mobile phone mobile phone vendor forecast timetable