In China, operators increasingly are shifting their efforts in the direction of wireless data services with plans to roll out Gprs this year and 3G services by the end of 2003 at the earliest. This White Paper examines China's mobile market in terms of current and future service trends. This market is still very much focussed on basic voice connectivity, with mobile penetration levels at only 7% by YE2000. By 2005, this is expected to reach only 24%. Nevertheless, Chinese operators are moving quickly to provide more advanced services such as Gprs and 3G. The government also seeks to ensure that China becomes a major 3G market. This paper analyses how prepared the country is for more advanced mobile services. It also evaluates the drivers and inhibitors supporting the development of the wireless data services.
