That growth comes between January and September; the telco ended September with 194 million subscribers
China Telecom ended the third quarter with 43.7 million subscribers in the 4G LTE segment, after a net addition of 36.6 million subscribers during the first three quarters of the year.
For the first three quarters of 2015, the number of mobile subscribers reached approximately 194 million, representing a cumulative net increase of 8.72 million.
China Telecom’s 3G /4G LTE subscribers totaled approximately 137 million after a net addition of 18.18 million subscribers in the January-September period.
China Telcom obtained a permit to operate LTE mobile service (LTE FDD) in February this year.
The operator recorded operating revenues of 246.32 billion yuan ($38.9 billion) for the first nine months of 2015, climbing 1.1% compared to the same period in 2014. Service revenues grew by 1.9% to 221.07 billion yuan.
On Oct. 14, China Telecom and China Tower entered into a transfer agreement, through which the telco will sell certain telecommunications towers and related assets and inject cash to China Tower in return for new shares issued by China Tower. China’s three mobile operators – China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom – signed an agreement to transfer a combined 231 billion yuan worth of telecommunications towers and related assets to China Tower, a joint venture all three operators share.
The three operators formally agreed to create the new company in July 2014, with the main goal of reducing duplication of telecom towers and other related infrastructure.
China Telecom’s Board said that the creation of the JV will enable the telco to deploy 4G LTE network infrastructure more quickly with significant capex savings.
SK Telecom opens 5G Playground in South Korea
In other APAC news, South Korean telecoms firm SK Telecom announced the opening of its so-called 5G Playground, an integrated innovation center for development of 5G technologies and use cases, at its corporate R&D center located in Bundang. SK Telecom also unveiled plans to launch a 5G trial service in 2017.
SK Telecom’s 5G Playground consists of 5G testbed, which hosts multiple technical testbeds and advanced testing equipment; a Virtual Experience Room, a space where SK Telecom showcases its futuristic services and devices; and the T Open Lab, which supports the establishment of an enriched 5G ecosystem through support for venture companies.
The Korean operator has set up testbeds with global companies – including Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung Electronics, Intel and Rohde & Schwarz – to develop and test 5G technologies.
