China Mobile has urged overseas manufacturers to increase the supply of handsets that support the operator’s new 3G network based on TD-SCDMA technology, according to a Thomson Financial News report. The report, citing an article on Sina.com, claims that China Mobile also raised the possibility of reducing 2G handset orders from those suppliers that do not comply. To date, only seven TD-SCDMA devices have been launched from foreign manufacturers (including Nokia, Motorola and Samsung), much less than the devices on offer from Chinese vendors. Earlier this week it was reported that China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, plans to invest CNY58.8 billion (US$8.6 billion) this year on TD-SCDMA technology, taking its total number of TD-SCDMA base stations to 80,000, covering 238 cities.

Rivals China Unicom and China Telecom will launch 3G services based on global standards WCDMA and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, respectively. Yesterday, Mobile Business Briefing reported on developments concerning China Telecom, which plans to launch its 3G service in 100 cities within the next three months, including the entire area of Beijing. Meanwhile, Dow Jones Newswires reports today that China Unicom plans to launch 3G services in 55 cities in China in the first half of this year, expanding this to 282 cities by the end of the year. 3G expenditure this year from Unicom will total CNY60 billion, whilst it expects its 3G network to become profitable in 2010.