Telecom Lead Asia: China Mobile is targeting to sell 100 million TD-LTE end-user devices in 2013.
Smartphones will be accounting for 85 percent.
The company has worked to strengthen distribution channels by establishing subsidiaries in 31 provinces and through online services.
China Mobile has been focusing on releasing own-brand handsets but the company does not seek to compete with handset makers. The current sales target could increase from 100 million units to 150-200 million units.
Earlier, China Mobile said it is planning to sell 55 million 3G handsets in 2012.
As of October 2012, China Mobile had sold 41.59 million TD-SCDMA 3G network handsets. During the same period, the company attracted 79.3 million 3G subscribers, the most among China’s three telecom carriers.
About 300 mobile phone makers, including Samsung, HTC, Huawei and ZTE, have developed mobile devices for China Mobile’s 3G network. The TD-SCDMA product line has covered entry-level handset to high-end devices.
China Mobile is already aggressive in its 4G expansion plans. ZTE has bagged a TD-LTE contract from China Mobile. The Chinese telecom equipment maker will build China Mobile’s TD-LTE networks in five Chinese cities — Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shenyang, with more than 13,000 carrier frequencies.
READ THIS: China Mobile is planning to set up a mobile Internet company, as well as develop its own self-branded mobile phones. Other Chinese Internet companies, including Baidu, Alibaba Group and Qihoo 360 Technology, have already launched self-branded smartphones.
Recently, 4G chipmaker Sequans Communications announced that its chips are powering a significant portion of the LTE devices to be used in the next phase of China Mobile’s large-scale trial of TD-LTE technology in China. Two of Sequans’ device manufacturer partners, Nationz and Primemobi, were awarded portions of the contract as recently announced by China Mobile.
