Entering the year 2005, the global information industry has been watching closely the launching of China's third-generation mobile telecommunication and the coming of a historic moment: the launching and operation of China's telecommunication network based on TD-SCDMA international standard.

In the evening on Dec. 9, 2004, the TD-SCDMA complex laboratory in China Datang Mobile Corporation was blazed with lights. Leaders from Datang Mobile, T3G, Philips Electronics and Samsung etc. gathered here, waiting for an important moment: the first international long-distance telephone call with global first TD-SCDMA commercial mobile phone will be made here and its receiver will be Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo, who is currently on a state visit to Amsterdam, Holland.

At midnight, the figure of Premier Wen Jiabao appeared on the huge plasma screen in the international headquarter of Royal Philips Electronics Corporation. At this moment, Zhou Huan picked up the phone��

"Hello, Premier Wen, I am Zhou Huan, president of Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group. Now I am making a call to you in Beijing with the TD-SCDMA commercial mobile phone jointly developed by Datang, Philips and Samsung. You are the first person who receives TD-SCDMA international long-distance telephone call in the world. Can you hear me clearly?"

"Yes, very clearly," replied Wen.

The whole laboratory was seething with excitement.

"We will certainly develop the TD-SCDMA technology into a huge industry," said Zhou.

From the receiver came Premier Wen's firm and clear voice:" I wish you a success!"

The 3G technology provided the opportunity for making breakthrough for China's high-tech industries from former "big scale " to "strong competitiveness".

The circles of economy, science and technology as well as informational industries have been seeking for such a breach: reversing the passive state of dependence on importing key technologies and key parts from transnational companies and solving the problems such as the lack of guiding ability for the development of industries. Relevant experts believe, when considering the characteristics of China's national condition and international environment, the 3G technology is the best choice to be a breach for China in the near future in the fields that would influence the direction of industrial development for national strategic interest and the in the key domains such as telecommunication, integrated circuit, operation system, computer and internet.

The historic breakthrough has been made the first step forward at the end of Jun. 1998. China Telecom Scientific and Technological Research Institute submitted the draft of 3G standard to International telecommunication Union. At the beginning of Nov. 1999, China's TD-SCDMA technology standard draft was acknowledged as the most eminent among all the drafts submitted by China, the US, the Europe, Japan and South Korea at the International telecommunication Union conference in Helsinki, capital of Finland. Finally, China's draft was approved by International Telecommunication Union, becoming the first "Chinese standard in the history of telecommunication".

Among the three international standards approved by International Telecommunication Union, TD-SCDMA, WCDMA supported by NOKIA and other European and Japanese companies and CDMA2000 backed by Qualcomm China have determined the triangular balance of power of 3G international standard. However, "Chinese standard" is the youngest, which would make it easier to break away from the trammel of the traditional technological system and commercial profits, and embrace the most advanced technology.

"Chinese standard" employs the relevant technologies, and has the advantages such as high frequency spectrum utilization ratio, low launching power and considerable system capacity, which makes it not only suitable to densely-populated countries, metropolitans and regions having big demand on mobile telecommunication, but also to the stable transition of countries and regions that have applied the 2G (GSM) technology. The two points mentioned are vital to the market outlook. Meanwhile "Chinese standard" is the only one that involving TDD technology. According to the special frequency set by International Telecommunication Union for it, "Chinese standard " is most likely to cover every corner of the world.

After continuous development and experience, the technological advantage of "Chinese standard" emerges and alters the direction of 3G researches in the world.

According to insiders, there have been several soul-stirring disputes over "Chinese standard" since its submission in 1998 till now. The trace of transnational companies almost determines all the sectors in the process of development and decision-making of "Chinese standard". Additionally, the controversies over "Chinese standard" by Chinese experts, scholars and media are unprecedented as far as the long duration and heated argument are concerned.

How can we help domestic enterprises grow steadily under the huge pressure from transnational companies without violating the rules and regulation of market economy? And how can we give impetus to these enterprises and help them form an industrial alliance representing national interest and finally develop into an industrial chain under the condition of the increasing pluralism and competitiveness of interests among the domestic enterprises?

At Beijing International Telecommunication Exhibition held in Oct. 2004, people are gratified to see the TD-SCDMA industrial alliance taking Chinese enterprises as core and possessing the self-innovated new technology, which illustrated the industrial chain involving from connection webs, intellectual antennas, core webs, terminals as well as chips to test environment.

All state leaders and leading cadres in the relevant fields attending the exhibition came to the stall of industrial alliance, expressing their expectation and encouragement. The commercialization process of TD-SCDMA affects everybody and expresses China's aspiration for emergence on the international stage.

Wang Xudong, vice minister of Information Industry, announced to the world three months later, "China is ready for the development of 3G mobile communication technology, and the Ministry of Information Industry will put forward the decision-making proposal on the development of 3G technology to relevant departments at appropriate time.

The history moment is appearing on the horizon. Chinese standard heralds the year of rooster.

3G is the abbreviation form for the Third Generation, referring to the third generation of mobile telecommunication technology. Compared with the second generation of mobile telecommunication technology featuring voice service, 3G can provide faster data transmission speed and many media forms to process images, music and video frequency flows. Meanwhile it can also provide many information services ranging from visiting web pages, watching, downloading and locating films and televisions, telephone meetings, e-commerce to environmental supervision and control, long-distance medical service as well as financial services.

According to experts' estimation, 3G users in China will approach 200 million by 2010 with an annual income standing at 300 billion yuan. The system equipment, system software and income from selling terminals that the construction of 3G needs will also bring handsome profits. It is predicted that 3G is expected to have a direct contribution of 0.8 percent to 1 percent to GDP if it is calculated on the economic growth rate of seven percent.

By People's Daily Online