On Wednesday afternoon, the ministry officially issued 4G licences to three of China's biggest telecom operators: China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. That means these operators now have official permission to develop commercial 4G services.
In hopes of taking a lead in the 4G era, China Mobile has spent more than 40 billion yuan or about 6.6 billion US dollars this year alone, building infrastructure and widening coverage. But it doesn't mean customers can call from a 4G phone tomorrow, as it will take time for telecom operators to roll out phone options, call plans and ensure enough coverage.