China Telecom, China’s state-owned telecommunications company, plans to offer Apple’s popular iPhone in China before the year ends, reports Reuters.
An anonymous source close to the company told Reuters:
“It’s expected to happen this year. China Telecom already has the required technology and it all hinges on content of the agreement. As we all know, it’s not easy to negotiate with Apple.”
If true, this makes China Telecom the second operator to do so in the world’s largest mobile phone market, following China Unicom.
In the meantime, China Mobile has also been getting iPhone rumors after Apple COO Tim Cook visited its HQ last month and the leaked image of an iPhone prototype running on the network.
In May, China Telecom Chairman Wang Xiaochu told a news conference that the carrier had contracted Apple to launch the iPhone based on CDMA technology. The telecommunications company had 105.7 million mobile phone users as of May.
This deal is equally huge for both China and Apple. It was reported last month that China has recently became the second largest market for iPhone app store downloads after the United States.
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