Trial to converge telecom, Internet and broadcast networks
BEIJING - Authorities on Thursday launched a major pilot project in 12 cities nationwide to help converge the telecommunications, Internet and broadcast networks, the State Council said in a statement on the government's website.
The project aims to make the three sectors compatible in the country to allow users to make telephone calls, surf the Net and watch television through one cable or wireless gateway.
It will enable telecom carriers, Internet companies and broadcasters to enter each other's fields and provide services, and is expected to create billions of yuan of investment in the coming years, analysts said.
Cities chosen for the pilot project include Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Wuhan.
The trial will last till 2012 and will focus on connecting the broadcasting and telecom networks, the government announced earlier. Authorities also vowed to achieve a comprehensive integration in line with the project by 2015.
The convergence project will attract at least 300 billion yuan ($44 billion) of investment from broadcasters and telecom carriers to upgrade their networks, said Xiang Ligang, a leading Chinese telecom analyst.
"The launch of the program will mean huge investment,"
Xiang said. But the investment may not yield any concrete results within the next two to three years, he said.
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