Guangdong Unicom: Few Handsets Supporting HSPA+64QAM Network
Guangzhou Daily, 7/04/12
China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) subscribers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen hoping to enjoy HSPA+64QAM network speeds of up to 42 Mbps this month will initially be limited to data cards, as no mobile handsets currently on sale will support the upgraded speeds. On June 28, a Guangzhou Daily reporter tested a mobile data card from Chinese telecom equipment and terminal manufacturer Huawei. The card was on the large side, and visibly thicker than other 3G mobile data cards currently on the market. Huawei already provides handsets to T-Mobile capable of 42 Mbps connectivity, and industry insiders predict that the number of handsets supporting the upgraded speeds will gradually grow during H1 2013. Meanwhile, smartphones from HTC, Samsung, LG, and other brands supporting 42 Mbps HSPA+ are currently available on the grey market.
Industry insiders say the real goal of Guangdong Unicom's announcement was to steal the thunder from Guangdong Mobile's TD-LTE 4G network, which could go into commercial use in Guangzhou and Shenzhen - among other areas - at the end of 2012. TD-LTE networks tested by reporters support peak speeds of up to 80 Mbps, comparable to theoretical network speeds of up to 83 Mbps that will be available on Guangdong Unicom's network after 2013 upgrades.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Rumor: Guangdong Unicom to Upgrade WCDMA Network Speeds" MD 6/29/12 issue.
Keywords: Guangdong Unicom China Unicom wireless 4G Huawei data card HSPA+ TD-LTE 0762.HK 600050.SH CHU handset 3.5G bandwidth
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