The Ministry of Industry and Technology of PRC has issued 4G licenses to three operators---China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom on December 4th. This means that the 4G era of mobile communication has been officially started in China. What are people in Yichang going to experience on the 4G network? What will the three major operators do? Bearing these questions in mind, the reporter visited the three operators\' Yichang branches and got the following information.

　　4G Network open a new era of mobile communications

　　As the fourth-generation mobile communication technology, 4G has obvious advantages in better call quality and faster mobile speed. Compared with traditional communication networks, 4G network is featured with fast speed, broad bandwidth, multi-service and strong integration. The maximum transmission rate may be up to 100M / S which equals to ten times more than the speed of 3G networks at present. Using 4G network, customers can experience higher rate of mobile Internet surfing, downloading and watching smooth HD video programs in top speed, calling high traffic data in anytime with a mobile phone or other terminals. According to the brief of China Unicom of Yichang branch, "As the construction of base station intensified and mobile Internet bandwidth expanded, people can quickly access data or information on driving vehicles through 4G network, so that Dispatch and Command Center can administer the vehicles in real time, and also can help users plan to use the transport system route and time. It is no longer a dream to hold a video conference on high speed vehicles in the future." A mobile worker described, "If we compare 2G networks to a narrow winding trial, 3G networks to urban freeway, then the 4G networks will be the highway." Take movies download for example, a 700M HD movie will take only one minute to complete downloading with the 4G network.

　　Three operators have been contriving for the new market

　　The starting of 4G era, for the telecommunications industry operators in China, seems to be a feast that shouldn’t be missed. Having interviewed the operators of China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom in Yichang, reporters have learned that the official releasing of 4G licenses can be compared to an “opening ceremony”, after which the major operators and handset manufacturers have increased their investment continuously in 4G network and terminals to speed up snatching the market share, and to implement their established policies gradually either for previous market capturing or further commercial plans.

　　The chief of China Mobile Yichang Branch said that 4G services would become the main service of China Mobile. He said: "At present, the 4G Fibers have basically been paved into the lobbies and offices in the sales centers; we will wait until the 4G mobile phones are launched." The staff also introduced that as long as there were 4G WiFi networks, customers could directly connect to 4G network of China Mobile through the WiFi-enabled mobile terminals or experience surfing on  the internet through the high-speed 4G network by configuring a wireless gateway (CPE) or MIFI (LTE and WiFi converter) .

　　China Unicom, Yichang Branch said that the company has launched the layout of 4G networks and it might be possible to serve the public in the 4G network featured with the combination of common international and domestic models.

　　China Telecom, Yichang Branch also said that they are busy in preparation for 4G mobile phone sales and the initiating of the operation services.

　　4G network will be available for the public around the Spring Festival

　　When could customers in Yichang really use 4G network? According to the news from Hubei Communications Administration, the application of 4G networks in Hubei province is still in the experimental stage at present, and it will cover the whole province around the Spring Festival, next year. Before the end of this year, Yichang city proper will be covered by 4G network, and it will take another 3 months to cover all the areas of township in Yichang.

　　Could 4G services be expensive in Yichang? The chief of China Mobile Yichang Branch told the reporters that the current tariffs had not yet been introduced, but 4G would be cheaper than 3G and the customers who wanted to use 4G services only needed to change their SIM cards instead of changing their phone numbers. The chief of China Telecom Yichang Branch said:"Since there is no clear timetable yet, we still need to wait for the notice of the specific tariff and network mode from the provincial company and the group company."

　　The chief of China Unicom Yichang Branch said: "Detailed program has not yet been introduced, but the price performance ratio of 4G charges will definitely be much better than that of 3G."

　　We can still wait before changing a new mobile phone

　　After visiting the sales centers of China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and some other brand mobile phone stores, the reporters have found that there are no 4G mobile phones on sale in current market in Yichang City. Many mobile phone sellers said that there would be a mobile phone replacement tide after promotion campaign initiated by communication operators of 4G networks.

　　The China Mobile Group Hubei Company Limited also indicated that Samsung, Huawei and other variety of 4G phones would be on sale in the major sales centers all over the province around the Spring Festival. The chief of China Unicom Yichang Branch said that the current iphone5s/5c on sale which had adopted international standard 4G network bandwidth could incorporate theoretically into 4G networks either directly or after a simple upgrade. It is only a matter of time for the 4G phones to be launched as many domestic handset manufacturers have very mature 4G terminal production technologies. “Online-Shopping and so other selling channels can also prove opportunities for the 4G mobile phones from foreign market known as smuggled goods or goods from Hong Kong inflow into domestic market." A certain brand mobile phone seller told reporters that if communication operators would use WiFi mode on 4G network services, customers can use any WiFi-supported mobile terminals to access to the internet instead of replacing their phones.

　　It’s really exciting to see the opening of 4G networks, but there are a few people remaining aloof about “the distance between reality and dream". An insider, who did not want to be named, told reporters:"It has also taken 4 years for 3G mobile phones to achieve seamless coverage in Yichang since 2009. Owing to the greater demands of transmission base station density and the broadband, which are more time-consuming and money-costing, there will be a long way to go for the realization of 4G fast service without breakpoints and fulfilling of the high speed described by the advertisements.(Reporter Jian Nisi, and Intern Reporter Xiang Hehe)