China Mobile – the world’s largest operator – appears to be continuing its struggle to sign up 3G subscribers to networks based on its domestically developed technology, TD-SCDMA. According to a statement on its website Monday, China Mobile’s 3G subscriber count stands at 959,000 as of end-June. That is just 0.2 percent of its total subscriber base (493.1 million). Reuters, citing the official Shanghai Securities News, notes that the operator had at the beginning of the year set a target of 10 million 3G subscribers for 2009, but due to poor results from initial tests with netbooks, the company had slashed the target to 3 million. Asked whether the company could sign up 3 million subscribers for its TD-SCDMA standard, Lu Xiangdong, a company executive VP, said: “We’ll try our best… Networks require time to build and to improve. Once subscribers see the service is good, the market will get better.” 

According to a Reuters report last week, China Mobile has recently awarded vendor contracts for a third-round TD-SCDMA network expansion tender. Chinese players ZTE, Huawei and Datang were the big winners, with allocation also going to New Postcom, FiberHome, Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson, and Potevio. The tender is reportedly valued at CNY8.6 billion (US$1.26 billion). China Mobile said it would buy equipment for its 39,000 base stations in 200 Chinese cities, expanding its network coverage to 70 percent of the country.