CHINA Mobile will be introducing a 4G data card "very soon" to be used in notebooks, which allows users to download at speeds of 10 to 20 times faster than existing 3G wireless networks, the world's No. 1 mobile phone maker said yesterday.

The telco is close to debuting its 4G data card and China Mobile and partners are researching a 4G handset chip, Wang Jianzhou, its chairman, said during the World Economic Forum held in Tianjin yesterday.

China Mobile and UK-based Vodafone Group Plc are jointly developing a mobile device based on the 4G technology called LTE (long term evolution) even though the latter has ceased to be a shareholder in the telco.

"Both the management and the board of Vodafone think they had a very good relationship and partnership with China Mobile and they will continue that," Wang said.

Last week, Vodafone raised US$6.5 billion by selling its entire 3.2 percent stake in Hong Kong-listed China Mobile.

Based on 4G, users can access the Internet using handsets at a speed faster than home broadband.