According to a report by ABI Research, TD-SCDMA is expected to be the dominant third-generation (3G) cellular technology in China, aided by strong government support. But outside of China, "TD-SCDMA is likely to face an uphill battle outside of Mainland China, even in Hong Kong," notes ABI Research analyst Hwai Lin Khor.

Both Chinese and international suppliers are already developing multimode handsets with TD-SCDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE interfaces. The deployed Chinese network infrastructure is already upgraded to an HSDPA-enhanced version. TD-SCDMA’s intellectual property (IP) rights holder, Datang Mobile, is already working towards an evolution of TD-SCDMA that will eventually incorporate Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. The evidence suggests that the current 3G delay is due to regulatory complications rather than technical ones. As Khor points out, "If the price points of handsets and services are attractive, TD-SCDMA may not need to fear WCDMA in the domestic market." The study, "3G and Beyond in China and Hong Kong," examines the regulations, technologies, handset and infrastructure vendors’ challenges, and operators’ competitive landscape in both China and Hong Kong and provides forecasts of the performance benchmarks of both countries.

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com)