Telstra eyes Olympic Games in Beijing
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Australian telecom firm Telstra plans to tap Olympic-sized opportunities in the world&#39;s largest telecom market with value-added services before the 2008 Games.
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Vodafone Group, Europe's largest mobile phone operator, is testing several network systems from Chinese manufacturers with the intention of purchasing equipment within the next few years.
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SYDNEY : Australian airline Qantas said that China and India are key to its plans to expand in Asia, with flights to Beijing likely to start within a year.
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(InfoWorld) - The eyes of the world are looking towards Beijing for the Olympic Games that will be held here fewer than 11 months from now. But for real China watchers, an event next month will draw much greater attention and have a much greater impact on the country than 16 days of athletics. In mid-October, China's ruling Communist Party will meet for its regular five-year congress. Unlike the annual National People's Congress, the Communist Party Congress sets the nation's agenda for the next five years, and usually results in a shuffling of ministers and even military leaders. China's economy, despite major market reforms over the past 25-odd years, is still centrally planned, and operates on five-year plans with specific targets and goals that are approved during the meeting. Unlike the Olympics, for which most observers expect generallyÂ unfettered Internet accessÂ and the nation going out of its way to show that it's kinder and gentler, the party congress is a time of tension, especially in Beijing. Wikipedia's recent re-blocking in China is certainly no coincidence, and as the meeting approaches,Â more blockingsÂ and a network slowdown should be expected. A slew of new, anti-"vulgarity" policies have just come down from the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT), designed to keep sex and violence off the airwaves. Offline, visitors to Beijing can expect an increased police presence, possibly including roadblocks and inspections at night. China's government representatives work full-time and for the most part are specialists, not generalists. Policy pronouncements come from the respective ministries and state administrations charged with regulating those particular areas. For example, the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) handles technology in general, meaning IT and telecommunications. Those regulatory announcements come out at other points, and therefore more specific news, likeÂ the issuance of 3G (third-generation) licenses, won't be issued during the congress. What role technology will play in China's next five years will be clearer one month from now. Although the party congress is very much a broad-strokes event, the prominent mention of various aspects of the economy sets the tone for the coming five years. During former President Jiang Zemin's reign, science and technology were at the forefront of the nation's direction. However, current leader Hu Jintao, has attempted to reduce the corruption so prevalent during Jiang's time, and has tried to make rural reform and closing the gap between rich and poor a priority. As such, agricultural technology, rather than IT, may receive more public attention during the congress.
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday it had awarded the Beijing 2008 Games internet and mobile phone platform rights for China to the digital arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
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Five cities vying to stage the 2012 Summer Games reveal their hands this week as Olympic chiefs scrutinize their plans for holding the world&#39;s greatest sporting extravaganza.
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BEIJING: With the end of the Athens Olympics, the focus is now on China&#39;s preparations as host of the 2008 Games. Authorities are promising a cleaner, greener and a culturally vibrant Beijing.
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While celebrating unprecedented success at the Athens Olympics, China has its sights firmly set on the Beijing Games in four years when they hope to present the country&#39;s new face to the world.
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The IT infrastructure for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing depends on mature technologies like wireline networking and WAP.
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China may dish out its first 3G  license as early as this month, a senior industry executive  said on Tuesday, as China Telecom  and Netcom   soared on hopes that Beijing would finally take the  leap after three years of false starts.
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The Evening Standard reports that London will use television coverage from Mondayâs parade of Olympians to convince Olympic leaders of Britainâs enthusiasm to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
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China's 40-billion-dollar welcome mat is almost in place as Beijing prepares to woo the world -- barring unwelcome guests -- to the Olympic Games in August.
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BEIJING -- Ticket prices at the 2008 Beijing Olympics will range from $3.82 to $638 when they go on sale next year.
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Plans for venues and transport are among details of the London 2012 Olympic Games bid to be unveiled.
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By Liu Baijia  If the number of times a CEO visits any given market is an indication of its importance, then China must be very significant for Australian telecom giant Telstra.
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China will put its homegrown 3G (third-generation) mobile technology to use during the 2008 Olympic Games, the country&#39;s state-owned broadcaster said in a news report.&quot;China&#39;s top economic planner says the country will use its homegrown&#160;3G service at the Beijing Olympics&#160;next year,&quot; China Central Television (CCTV) said during a news broadcast (requires Internet Explorer) on Wednesday.The announcement by officials from China&#39;s National Development and Reform Commission was made during the PT/Expo Comm China 2007 exhibition this week in Beijing. Trials of TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) will be expanded to include the Olympics, but officials offered no hint of when the country plans to&#160;issue licenses for 3G services, CCTV reported.They also offered no hint of whether other 3G technologies will be in use during the Olympics, CCTV said.Chinese officials have long promised that 3G would be part of the technologies used to host a &quot;high-tech Olympics.&quot; But China&#39;s move towards 3G was slowed by bureaucratic infighting and the relative immaturity of the domestically developed 3G standard. As tests have continued in a bid to prove that TD-SCDMA is ready for commercial deployment, the government has held off on plans to issue 3G licenses.That delay leaves open the possibility that China will not have commercial 3G services ready in time for the Olympics. That now seems to be a certainty, even if a trial TD-SCDMA service is made available to showcase that technology during the games.&#160;
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Beijing should not wait too long to complete venues for the 2008 Olympics, a top official from the International Olympic Committee said in the capital yesterday.