Tom Online 3G deal has mainland in its view

Those chosen to provide content to third generation mobile networks stand to make a killing in the marketplace. This most certainly seems be the thinking behind Tom Online’s move to become “the” content provider for Hong Kong’s premier mobile network, Hutchison Telecom.

Tom Online, an Internet unit of tycoon Li Ka-shing’s business empire, is hoping its latest deal to supply content to Hutchison Telecom’s third-generation (3G) mobile network in Hong Kong will give it early exposure to the emerging high-speed mobile standard before China launches 3G services.

“We expect the regulators in China to issue 3G licences some time in 2005,” Tom Online’s chief operating officer Xu Zhiming said. “The size of the country means investments in 3G by mobile operators will be much bigger, and the timetable for the launch of commercial 3G services in China is still very uncertain.”