A Nokia official disclosed the company expects to start selling handsets for China's homegrown 3G technology in the first half of 2008, according to a Reuters report.

Beijing extended early this year the pre-commercial testing of the TD-SCDMA standard to 10 cities from the original five. Analyst perceive the extended trials as a soft launch that favors local firms.

Maintaining its "technology neutral" stand and providing an open market for different technologies, the China government also approved the use of the European 3G standard—W-CDMA. The industry, however, is still waiting for the official launch of 3G licenses in the country, which the government has repeatedly stated would be available in time for the 2008 Olympics.