World Telecom Day on May 17 will not see China start to issue its long-awaited third generation (3G) wireless communication licenses, the Ministry of Information Industry insisted Monday.

Ministry spokesperson Wang Lijian was quick to dismiss media reports to this effect as "groundless."

"We don't have a set timetable for the issue of 3G licenses," said Wang, who refused to elaborate.

Reports over the weekend said the government would speed up issuing of the licenses, which had been expected later in the year.

It is still conducting tests on all the three 3G standards: the homegrown TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access), European-based WCDMA (Wideband CDMA) and the US' QUALCOMM-based CDMA2000.

Sources close to the ministry said the tests would conclude next month.

"This year, we will work out a special project focusing on 3G development and make recommendations based on it," reaffirmed Wang Jianzhang, director of the ministry's Comprehensive Planning Department, during the 2005 Working Conference for the Electronic and Information Industry held at the weekend.

This message echoed Information Industry Minister Wang Xudong's remark early in January that "in collaboration with related government sectors, we are to make suggestions for the development of 3G for decision at an appropriate time this year."

Chen Jinqiao, director of the ministry's China Academy of Telecommunications Research, said he believed 3G development strategies for this year are being strengthened.

Both domestic telecom operators and equipment providers from home and abroad have been crying out 3G development since last year, as they are betting on massive potential in China.

Analysts said they believe that delaying the issue of licenses was mainly to help the domestic TD-SCDMA catch up with the other two standards.

The Chinese standard is scheduled to be commercially released in June. CDMA2000 and WCDMA are already well established and growing, so far registering a total of more than 156 million subscribers, and served by 125 operators in 56 countries.

(China Daily March 29, 2005)