China market: 3G users top 10 million at end of 2009, says MIIT

After the government issued the first three 3G mobile communication licenses in early 2009, the total number of 3G subscribers in China has been rapidly increasing and is expected to exceed 10 million at the end of 2009, according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The three 3G licensees will have invested a total of 143.5 billion yuan (US$21.0 billion) in setting up 3G infrastructure in 2009, including 285,000 base stations around China, MIIT indicated.