This month's Dateline China is in the form of "news in brief" snippets chosen to demonstrate how the pace of infrastructure and application development here is hotting up. These stories all stem from colorful, bustling Shanghai, whose name means "on the sea," the home to 8 million residents and an itinerant population of about 2 million workers. As China's largest city and its financial center, Shanghai has over 5 million mobile phone subscribers.

China Unicom Launches CDMA 1x Wireless in Shanghai
"China Unicom's CDMA has formally moved into 2.5G," said China Unicom CDMA Shanghai Company general manager Xie Guoqing, announcing the launch of CDMA 1x in Shanghai. The company brought forward the launch to take advantage of the Spring Festival, at which time there will be more phone calls, SMS, and other value-added services needed, as always during holiday periods in China.

Shanghai Unicom said that their new fee proposal awaits approval from the head office. However, insiders revealed that until nationwide universal fee rates are announced, the company will set up a trial period for CDMA 1x users. That's to say, use of CDMA 1x will initially be free.

In addition, Shanghai Unicom also launched a UMAX wireless CDMA data business. It provides WAP browsing, multimedia download, and speedy Internet access service up to 153.6k bps. Shortly, Shanghai Unicom plans to provide VOD, GPS, e-map and navigation, and mobile e-business services.

Motorola and Kyocera will act both as CDMA mobile phone vendors and as value-add service vendors to China Unicom.

Improving Wireless Indoors and Outdoors
Congested freeway traffic in Shanghai is nothing compared with the congestion of wireless signals in the city's buildings. Of its 5 million plus mobile phone subscribers, over a million of them are roaming at any given time throughout each workday. Shanghai Mobile Communications Company embarked on a project to create an indoor wireless communications system that would vastly improve connectivity between outdoor and indoor signals from the historic Bund to the high-technology Pudong development zone.

The first phase of the upgrade included major transportation hubs such as Shanghai's Hongqiao airport, which now has enhanced wireless connectivity, along with 600 hotels, shopping centers, and office buildings throughout Shanghai. By the time it is completed later this year, the network will connect over 2,000 buildings.

Shanghai Mobile contracted Andrew Telecommunications (China) Co, Ltd., to provide coverage so users could move around freely with no disruption of service in airports, railway stations, hotels, and offices. Having opened its first Asian manufacturing plant in Suzhou in 1997, Andrew China is now assisting with the creation, expansion, and upgrading of wireless systems throughout the country, and has sales offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou and distribution centers in Beijing and Guangzhou.

China's First Wireless LCD PCTV
Shanghai Yuanchang Digital Technology Co., Ltd., has introduced its wireless LCD PCTV, the VISART series, that combines computer, television, and home theater into one unit. Equipped with a movable floor stand and wireless video receiver, the unit can be moved within a diameter of 30 meters. It's available in a 15- or 17-inch version.

The PCTC features reception of high-quality TV programs, PIP (picture-in-picture) function for simultaneous TV and computer display, and can be connected with a VCD/DVD player.

Global Mobile Congress in Shanghai Announced
The 4GMF, World Wireless Congress and IEEE China (pending) have announced a very important Global Mobile Congress in Shanghai, China - an official technical event supported by Tsinghua University, BUPT, Southeast University, Zhejiang University, CIC, and MOST, as well as by major wireless industries in China and many government authorities in wireless and mobile communications.

There has been tremendous interest recently in China's huge wireless markets and business opportunities. By 2008, China's wireless mobile markets will be over $200 billion. The objective of this global mobile congress will be to gather the research, development, deployment, marketing, policy, and business updates in the global mobile communications and present an overview of state-of-the-art emerging wireless mobile technologies - globally or locally - as well as perspectives on future development in order to promote research and strategy activities, business plans, and market analysis.