These are heady days for TD-SCDMA.
After ten years and several billion dollars in Chinese state funding, the struggling 3G standard has finally clinched a deal with an offshore body - an MoU with Taiwan's state-owned Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).
But in the wake of that, local operators have expressed an interestin running trials of the wireless technology.
Yang Hua, the secretary-general of the TD-SCDMA Industry Alliance, told scmp.com that Chunghwa Telecom and FarEasTone may form an alliance with Chinese government-owned Datang Telecom to test TD-SCDMA. Reutersreports that would-be operators Vibo and Tatung Telecom were also in talks with ITRI.
There's a bit of obvious politics there, but it makes commercial sense.
The way Chinese government is throwing money both at Taiwan and TD-SCDMA development, it may well extend its generosity to Taiwanese operators who decide to buy the equipment. The vendors who've invested heavily in TD development may also be persuaded to build a trophy network on treasured Taiwan territory on charitable terms.
And remember we're talking not about 3G but the next generation, TDD-LTE, which is supposed to be interoperable with other flavors of LTE. It will certainly be interoperable with China Mobile's 3G and 4G networks, onto which millions of Taiwanese roam each year.
Which makes it a worthwhile test for Taiwanese carriers. Not to mention a way of earning political brownie points with the current mainland-friendly government.