CHINA Mobile's Shanghai branch will expand the coverage of its network based on the 4G technology to the whole area within the Middle Ring Road, providing mobile phone users download speed that is 10 times faster than the existing 3G speed, Shanghai Daily learned yesterday.

Upgrading the network will also make it compatible with the next-generation iPhone if China Mobile and Apple Inc come to a deal, industry insiders said.

Shanghai Mobile plans to establish or upgrade 1,600 base stations for the TD-LTE network with a mobile bandwidth of 20 megabytes per second, 10 times faster than the 3G speed, said Gu Qiufeng, Shanghai Mobile's TD project manager.

The upgrading comes under the second phase of Shanghai Mobile's construction of the TD-LTE network. The TD-LTE network now has about 100 base stations.

"We expect to use 4G iPhone with TD-LTE," Gu said.

China Mobile, the country's No. 1 telco, is likely to offer the next-generation iPhone with TD-LTE "at the end of this year or next year" Morgan Stanley said in a note.

The upgrading plan is still waiting for approval, Gu said.