iPhone Under Testing for Network Access Permit in China
Sina Tech, 7/10/09
A prominent industry figure has confirmed that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)'s China Telecommunication Technology Labs (CTTL) is currently testing a 3G iPhone tailored for the Chinese market, but the official report has not yet been issued while China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) and Apple remain in negotiations. A source at CTTL confirmed that Apple has submitted an iPhone especially ordered for the Chinese mainland market for WCDMA network access approval, saying "Apple previously submitted an iPhone but only for private testing, not to obtain a network access permit. This time it is for a network access permit."
A China Unicom employee said that while Apple and China Unicom have been driving hard to bring a WCDMA iPhone into China, the outcome of their negotiations is still unresolved.
Editor's Note: China's State Radio Monitoring Center (SRMC) website announced it had issued a national data transmission equipment model number for Apple's A1324 GSM/WCDMA handset on May 7. The license allows Apple to sell the A1324, which some suspect is an iPhone, on the Chinese market for a five-year period.
Keywords: 0762.HK 3G 600050.SH Apple China Unicom CHU CTTL GSM iPhone network access permit State Radio Monitoring Center WCDMA wireless smartphone handset
Sending
