Commercializing the fourth-generation communications network (4G) across China needs at least one year, said Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei when taking interviews after the Second Plenary Session of the First Session of the 12th National People's Congress on March 8, 2013.

The large-scale commercialization of 4G is currently undergoing testing and its network coverage still has a long way to go, Miao said in a frank way. He illustrated that nowadays even 3G could not display its full advantages in many places in China as it always drops to 2G due to poor network coverage. The major task lying ahead is to speed up the installation of coverage facilities as to realize the smooth switching of 3G and 4G, Miao said.

However, he pointed out that 4G will be commercialized in China's six pilot cities as the network coverage is available there. With regards to the 4G market permission, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom will still be the three so-called large operators, Miao added.