MIIT Issues First Batch of MVNO Trial Permits to 11 Firms
MIIT, 12/26/13
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) today granted official approval to the first group of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), allowing them to conduct network trials. The approved companies include:
- Telling Communications (subsidiary of Telling Telecom Holding (000829.SZ))
- Lianlian Technology
- Funtalk Century Telecommunications Equipment Retail Chain
- Huaxiang Lianxin Technology (a.k.a. "Huaxiang Telecom") (subsidiary of Tsinghua Holdings)
- Jingdong Century Trading (operator of B2C e-commerce platform Jingdong)
- Bewinner Communications (002148.SZ)
- HiChina Technology (subsidiary of e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group)
- D.Phone
- SoShare Online Network Technology
- Bus Online Holding
- Telephone World Group
The MIIT will also grant trial approval to more companies going forward. The ministry will accept MVNO trial network applications until July 2014.
At present, the MIIT has not received trial applications from China Mobile's (NYSE: CHL; 0941.HK) non-state run MVNO partners. 16 non-state run companies signed business agreements with China Telecom (NYSE: CHA; 0728.HK), and 14 signed agreements with China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) in October and November, respectively. China Mobile has decided on its MVNO partners, but the companies are still in the signing stage.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "MIIT to Issue MVNO Licenses by Year-end" MD 12/23/13 issue.
Keywords: SoShare China Telecom China Mobile China Unicom D.Phone wireless Bus Online 000829.SZ MIIT MVNO Telling HiChina Bewinner Communications CHL 002148.SZ 0728.HK 0762.HK 0941.HK 600050.SH CHA CHU Funtalk Tsinghua Holdings Jingdong Century Lianlian Technology Telephone World Huaxiang Telecom license