China has opened up its mobile broadband market after granting 4G licences to its three main telecoms companies, raising Apple’s hopes of signing a distribution deal with China Mobile, the world’s biggest mobile operator by subscribers.
China’s mobile carriers have already embarked on an aggressive expansion of 4G networks under trial licences, prompted by a government that has identified the rapid adoption of superfast internet technology as crucial to economic and social development.
But the official sign off for 4G in the world’s largest telecoms market will mean a windfall for global technology groups such as Apple, which will finally be able to offer its latest iPhones on China Mobile’s networks.