China now has 780m mobile users, including 180.8m on 3G networks, 310m fixed-line customers and 404m internet users, according to MIIT chief Li Yizhong. The country has 32.3m websites and 86.6Gbps of international bandwidth.
European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes has called for a case to be brought against China's internet firewall under WTO rules. Speaking in Shanghai, she said the restrictions on information flow were a trade barrier, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Kroes is due to unveil a five-year plan tomorrow, encompassing digital copyright, data protection, net neutrality and e-commerce, with a view to creating a single European Union telecoms market, said the NY Times.
Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest technology company by sales, has announced a record 26 trillion won ($23b) investment plan for 2010, with the aim of consolidating its leadership in chips and flat panel displays.
A Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson toldBusiness Week that network importation rules should be “fairly applicable to all companies,” in response to India reportedly banning Chinese vendors from supplying network equipment to local operators.
Twitter’s entry into the smartphone applications market means it must act swiftly to avoid alienating third-party app developers that have been crucial to its success, a new report from research firm Ovum warns.
BT announced it its increasing its investment in Asia Pacific. It estimates the addressable market for its managed services solutions in the region at around $11.8b, with annual growth rates of 6%.
Extelcom is seeking a six months extension on its permit to roll out Nokia Flexi EDGE Base Stations at 900Mhz in the Philippines, reports the Manila Times. Extelcom claims the network roll out is being hampered by interference problems.
AIS has switched off 80 base stations in Ratchaprasong after the government ordered cellcos to cut signals in the protest area, said the Bangkok Post.
Bids for one pan-Indian 3G spectrum block reached $3.54 billion at the close of day 32 of the auction on Monday.
KDDI has unveiled 13 new mobile devices for the summer, including a device from Hitachi which allows users to choose between three different keypads.