China to further expand trial of 4G wireless network

China will continue testing and expand the trial run of the new 4G network technology that allows 10 to 20 times faster Internet access, the industry’s top regulator said yesterday.

It also has a huge market potential that will open business opportunities to domestic firms like China Mobile, ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies, industry insiders said.

“China is actively promoting the 4G network trial after making very good progress in 2012,” Zhang Feng, director of the telecommunications development department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said.

The fourth-generation network, or 4G, has been adopted in many markets, including Hong Kong, the United States, Japan and South Korea.As of the end of 2012, China had 230 million 3G users.

The new 4G networks are based on TD-LTE (time division-long term evolution) technology, which is expected to be supported by mainstream firms including Qualcomm and even Apple. Chinese telecommunications equipment makers are also waiting for the 4G networks, investing heavily in equipment.