Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news
The developer of China-patented 3G technology TD-SCDMA can now stop worrying
about capital shortages as it has received the biggest-ever loan to be extended
by the country's strategic banker, today's Sina.com.cn reported.
The
Shanghai-listed Datang Telecom Technology Co Ltd said it has received a
technological support loan of 300 million yuan (US$37 million) from China
Development Bank (CDB).
Prior to this loan, CDB had extended a loan of 200
million yuan to Datang last June to facilitate the latter's development of the
TD-SCDMA, or Time Division - Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access,
standard.
It has promised to grant another 300 million yuan early next year,
taking its total financial support to Datang to 800 million yuan.
Market
analysts said the loans are indicative of the China telecom authority's
continued preference for domestically-developed 3G technology as the primary
standard for the pending 3G market. They expect the authority to issue the first
business licenses for 3G next year, ushering the country's telecom market into a
new era.
Datang has long been under a financial cloud due to its poor
business performance. Early last month, it was the subject of a probe by the
securities market watchdog for its allegedly disclosing misleading
information.
On news of this, shares in the company plunged 9.61 percent and
closed at 7.81 yuan (95.3 US cents), dragging down those of other listed
companies in the 3G and telecom sector. The outcome of the probe is still
awaited, however. Two years previously, the group was probed by the securities
market regulator on its alleged involvement in a scandal affecting another
listed company.