Xiamen: We Don’t Need No Stinking WiFi

Posted on September 1, 2008
Filed Under China Internet, Mobile, Wireless Networks |

China Mobile (CHL) has signed a wireless cooperation memo with the Xiamen Municipal Government to build a wireless city.

Unlike other Chinese cities which adopt Wi-Fi and WiMAX technology is their wireless construction, Xiamen will become the first wireless city in China that based on the TD-SCDMA/HSDPA network. This is also the first time for China Mobile to enter China’s wireless city construction sector, making it face close combat with its rivals, China Telecom and CETC-Chinacomm.

According to Xiamen’s government, the TD-SCDMA/HSDPA network has covered over 800 square kilometers of the city and the wireless services will be officially opened from September 8, 2008. By then, local residents will be able to browse government websites free of charge with their TD-SCDMA mobile phones or notebooks with TD-SCDMA network interface cards within the coverage of the wireless network. Special regions, including libraries, airports and convention and exhibition centers, where people can gain free Internet access, will be opened to the public at the same time.

I’m interested in how the billing will be handled for all this. If they want to provide free access in “special regions”, they’ll have to work out exceptions for user’s data volume billing plans. And free access to government web sites? Who cares.