Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that China Mobile’s 3G network based on TD-SCDMA technology is ready for commercial use during the Beijing Olympics this August. The report states that China Mobile and supplier Samsung Electronics presented 15,000 TD-SCDMA handsets, as well as datacards and nearly 3 million yuan (US$428,600) of calling fees, to the Beijing Organising Committee yesterday. Earlier this month, China Mobile launched TD-SCDMA commercial trials in eight cities (including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin), five of which are to host events for the Beijing Olympics.

Samsung is unlikely to be the sole supplier of devices. Earlier this year reports stated that China has issued licences to a number of manufacturers allowing their handsets to access TD-SCDMA networks, including Lenovo, ZTE, Hisense Electric, LG Electronics, Samsung, Guangzhou, Nokia and Motorola. China’s homegrown standard TD-SCDMA is intended as an alternative to two 3G technologies also in commercial use around the world, W-CDMA and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO.