Southwest China's Chongqing municipality is planning to build the country's first 3G industrial base, drawing 18 investment projects from the world's leading technology companies such as IBM and Infineon with investment amounting to 15.63 billion yuan.

The 3G industrial base will develop the country's self-developed TD-SCDMA technology, covering the overall process from chip development and terminal devices production to marketing, Chongqing Economic Times reported.

The Chongqing government offers workshops and office buildings to investors, as well as tax reduction or refunds for companies and technicians alike. The government also promises financial supports for the base.

The 3G industrial base is expected to see sales volume exceeding 100 billion yuan in three years, the newspaper reported, citing Huang Qifan, deputy mayor of the Chongqing municipality.

Huang also predicted that the industrial base may realize an output value of 151 billion yuan by 2015.

China's TD-SCDMA subscribers are expected to reach 10 million in 2009, as China Mobile, the country's largest mobile operator, launches TD-SCDMA service in 38 cities, Lou Qinjian, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said in previous report.

China Mobile said earlier that it planned to invest 58.8 billion yuan to develop TD-SCDMA.

China had approximately 641 million mobile phone users by the end of 2008.

(China Daily March 13, 2009)