The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on December 30. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Bottom line: 2015 will see an acceleration in 4G services, with China Telecom and Unicom winning commercial FDD licenses in the first quarter and 2-4 VNO licensees potentially emerging as real rivals to the big 3 telcos.
4G set to take off in 2015
A number of telecoms stories are in the headlines today, highlighting the huge hopes everyone has for new 4G services that will open up the market to a wide array of new products. Leading the headlines are word that China Telecom (HKEx: 728; NYSE: CHA) and Unicom (HKEx: 763; NYSE: CHU) have gotten the green light to expand their trial 4G networks, as the nation’s 2 smaller mobile carriers play catch-up to industry titan China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL).
At the same time, another new report is showing the pathetic state of under-utilization for China Mobile’s 3G network, which uses a homegrown technology that has been plagued with problems. Finally there’s a third report saying the telecoms regulator has just issued its fifth and possibly final batch of virtual network operator (VNO) licenses, creating several dozen new carriers that will compete in in 4G by leasing capacity on the networks of the big 3 telcos. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on December 18. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) To Buy Uber Stake In Challenge To Alibaba In China (English article)
Dalian Wanda Sets IPO Price At HK$48, Near Upper End Of Range (Chinese article)
Avon (NYSE: AVN) Ends Bribery Probe Tied to China With Guilty Plea, Fine (English article)
US Confirms Duties On Solar Goods From China, Taiwan (English article)
Unicom (HKEx: 762), China Telecom (HKEx: 728) To Expand LTE Trial Networks (Chinese article)
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on December 16. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Qihoo (NYSE: QIHU) Set To Buy Smartphone Maker For 5 Bln Yuan – Source (Chinese article)
Xiaomi Makes 1.266 Bln Yuan Investment In Midea (Shenzhen: 000333) (Chinese article)
Tuniu (Nasdaq: TOUR) Wins $148 Mln From Hony, JD.com, Ctrip (Chinese article)
China Unicom (HKEx: 762) Drops to Eight-Month Low As Manager Probed (English article)
Childcare E-commerce Site ‘Miyabaobei’ Secures $60 Mln Series C Funding (English article)
Tech executives have been uncharacteristically quiet on their microblogs this past week, possibly due to the US Thanksgiving holiday that saw light activity in New York where most of their stocks are traded. But all the holidays in the world could never quiet the talkative Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, who was busy talking up one of his company’s latest investments. That particular investment came in the unlikely property management space, involving a developer of YMCA-style buildings that rent out apartments to young people. Read Full Post…
Bottom line: China’s plan to allow private competition in the wire-line broadband sector will move forward slowly, but should provide needed competition for Unicom and China Telecom within the next 3-5 years.
China opens broadband to private investment
China’s drive to open up its telecoms services sector to more competition could soon gain some new momentum, with word that the telecoms regulator is crafting a plan that would let private companies offer wire-line broadband services. This particular move looks like an extension of a campaign that launched earlier this year, allowing private companies to offer traditional mobile service through the creation of virtual network operators (VNOs).
This new campaign would also come as China works to break the current monopoly in the wire-line broadband sector held by China Telecom (HKEx: 728; NYSE: CHA) and China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; NYSE: CHA), which previously were probed for monopolistic practices. It would also come as Beijing assembles a new national wire-line broadband company through consolidation of the nation’s dozens of cable TV operators. Read Full Post…
Bottom line: After a slow start, China’s VNO program is picking up momentum, with new operators poised to sign up a collective 50 million in total subscribers as soon as the middle of next year.
VNOs gain momentum
After a decidedly slow start in their first half year of life, China’s young crop of virtual network operators (VNOs) are starting to show some new signs of momentum, including a boost with the new awards of licenses to leading online video site Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU) and fast-rising smartphone maker Xiaomi. The VNO program is part of Beijing’s efforts to breathe new life into the telecoms services sector by opening it up to new private operators that can compete with the big 3 state-run telcos. But the program has been plagued with glitches since the first new services launched in the spring, with the result that progress has been slower than expected. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 20. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) To Launch Its App Store In China – Report (English article)
Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) Said To Prepare Inaugural Bond Issue For Today (English article)
Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) Sees Progress In Talks In China On Licensing Fees (English article)
Bottom line: Telefonica’s sell-down of its Unicom stake presages an exit from the investment next year, ending a decade of failed tie-ups by foreign telcos looking to tap the Chinese telecoms services market.
Telefonica halves Unicom stake
Chinese telco shares may look like a good bet for small investors hoping to profit from company stock gains, but they’re a clear dud for foreign carriers hoping to profit from China’s huge but highly protected telecoms market. That’s my latest assessment following word that Spain’s Telefonica (Madrid: TELF) is further selling down its stake in China Unicom (HKEx: 762; NYSE: CHU), in what looks like a prelude to a complete exit from this problematic investment.
If Telefonica does indeed completely dump Unicom, it would mark the end of a decade-long courtship that saw some of the world’s top telcos invest heavily in their Chinese counterparts. All of those investments ended in divorce, with the foreign carriers selling their shares when they failed to get any strategic benefits from the tie-ups. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 11. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Xiaomi to Take Stake in iQiyi, Youku Todou (NYSE: YOKU) – Source (English article)
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 4. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Xiaomi Said To Seek Funding At Valuation Of About $50 Bln (English article)
