LIVE FROM MOBILE ASIA EXPO 2014: China Mobile believes the development of devices that support multiple spectrum bands and network technologies will be critical in driving the uptake of LTE in China and around the world.

Speaking at the Global Device Summit ahead of Mobile Asia Expo, Tang Jianfeng, deputy general manager for devices at China Mobile, said: “We believe that multimode and multi-band will be key factors in future development.”

With different spectrum bands and technologies in use around the world, devices that support a range of LTE networks are key in enabling 4G roaming — something that is growing in importance as users rely on mobile devices for an increasing array of IP-enabled services.

The world’s largest operator has ambitions to expand the device market “or even double it”, with wearable devices playing a major role, according to Jianfeng.

As part of its efforts, China Mobile has contracted five manufacturers to produce five-mode smartphones which should result in 20 new TD-LTE models.

Cost control will be important in the development of devices in the future, but should not come at the expense of quality, Jianfeng warned.

“We cannot sacrifice quality or performance for the sake of lowering cost. So we need to have a larger cost base and more devices to be sold to drive cost control,” he noted.

China Mobile is backing industry collaboration as part of its devices strategy: “Let’s join our hands to promote a scaled terminal industry and faster deployment of 4G technology,” Jianfeng said.