Ms. ZhangQi, the director general of electronic & information product management department (EIPMD) of MII, is one of the most welcome officers in TD-SCDMA family because of her throughout supports whenever TD-SCDMA environment is good or not. So far a lot of us still remember her ardent speech at the foundation ceremony of Datang Mobile Ltd. Some time ago her presiding over Spreadtrum’s 1st TD-SCDMA terminal chip press in Great Hall of the People again left us a profound impression.
Ms. Zhang gives a high evaluation to TD-SCDMA during our visiting. She thinks TD-SCDMA is the first communication standard submitted by China and get international admit. It has become a great force in current world telecommunication scopes. Its definition and being adopted change the situation of passive following in China mobile communication industry. Ms. Zhang thinks TD-SCDMA is a breakthrough and has important significance for the whole Chinese electronic and communication industry. On the other hand, Ms. Zhang directs calmly: if a standard can’t get supports from commercial product and market, it just a fake and has no any significance for all national related industries.

From this point of view, Ms. Zhang emphasizes that the target of Electronic & Information Product Management Department (EIPMD) from MII is to support and urge enterprises to develop commercial TD-SCDMA products. Also EIPMD should help TD-SCDMA products to be accepted by market and carriers. Only by achieving these targets, TD-SCDMA can become a genuine one of mainstream 3G standards.

In fact, Ms. Zhang and her EIPMD have done a lot for the developing of China national mobile communication industry. It just is EIPMD who submitted “The dedicated project for mobile communication product research and development” to State Department. Under the direction from MII, this suggestion is accepted and carried out step by step. In the following 5 years since 1999, state would take 5% out from the expenditure of installation fees used for national mobile communication product research and development. This policy was executed for two and a half years until installation fees was cancelled. Ms. Zhang reveals that mobile communication industry got RMB 1.18 billion Yuan via this policy. TD-SCDMA research and development benefit RMB 0.24 billion Yuan from it. This fund provided strong support to TD-SCDMA industry when its situation is so difficult at that time.

Ms. Zhang points that TD-SCDMA industry has achieved a lot after several years effort. The key significance lies on we can do this from zero jumping-off point but the absolute quantity of our core IPRs. For the first time we have our own core IPRs in TD-SCDMA standard and before this China mobile communications has dropped behind others for decade’s years. This breakthrough has the most significance for the developing of mobile communications industry in China. Additionally TD-SCDMA achievement can prove to the world: China has the ability not only to define a 3G specification but also to provide mature commercial TD-SCDMA total products. Now TD-SCDMA has built an integral industry including system equipment and terminals, which is ready for full TD-SCDMA industrialization. The situation is getting better and better.

After giving a positive evaluation for TD-SCDMA development, Ms. Zhang also thinks that there were still some risks. Firstly an international 3G standard must have simultaneous supports from products and subscribers if it wants to succeed. So far the support from subscribers is not so clear, which can be seen from carriers’ attitudes to TD-SCDMA. The amphibolous attitude has affected the driven power and self-confidence for suppliers to follow TD-SCDMA product and commercial process. If suppliers can’t find clear marketing prospect, they will not dive into it without any hesitation. Secondly we should realize that the perfection and maturity of one product must be continuously improved based on large-scale field trials. So far TD-SCDMA has no such a testing environment, which severely affects its further maturity. Thirdly, generally terminal is a key point for 3G developing and maturity. Terminal is characteristic of fast and continuous changing and updating. We can’t realize this if there is not an effective commercial environment. Meanwhile, even though terminal chip is available, if there is no marketing requirement, it is difficult for terminal suppliers to make decision to launch large-scale manufacturing.

How we can avoid these risks in TD-SCDMA development? Ms. Zhang thinks there is a mutual driven-power relation between carriers and manufacturers. Current carriers’ amphibolous attitudes to TD-SCDMA have two reasons: the level of technical maturity and government’s unclear strategy. Ms. Zhang suggests:

(1) Commercial TD-SCDMA usage should be planned as soon as possible. Government should actively recommend carriers to adopt TD-SCDMA standard.

(2) We should suggest state to resume the dedicated support to mobile communications, at least to finish previous five-years policy. Ms. Zhang thinks “The dedicated project for mobile communication product research and development” has got a great success. It helped the whole mobile communication of China to going ahead with a big step. We can see following data: total industry scale was enhanced more than 20 times; marketing share is more than 50%; telecommunication operation saved cost of hundreds of billion Yuan. The most important is we get a dominating position in 3G-field and have enough strength to compete with other foreign suppliers. Now it is the last minute for 3G industrialization. Preliminary TD-SCDMA product has been available. If government can give more fund support, TD-SCDMA will get more trust and confidence and its industrialization process will be accelerated greatly. Accordingly the level of the whole China mobile communication industry will be further enhanced.