China Mobile makes quick 4G inroads

China Mobile on Tuesday signed agreements with 10 mobile phone manufacturers and retailers, the latest foray into the fledgling 4G market.

Tuesday's agreements saw China Mobile join with manufacturers -- Lenovo, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Gionee-- as well as retailers and online platforms including Jing Dong, TMall, Suning, Gome and Dixintong.

The deals will speed up sales of 4G mobiles, a China Mobile official said.

On Dec. 4, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued 4G licenses to three operators, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, marking a new era in China's mobile network.

The three operators received permits for fourth generation (4G) services using homegrown Time-Division Long-Term Evolution (TD-LTE). one of two international standards. The technology will lower bandwidth and promises faster mobile broadband.

China Mobile will hold a worldwide partner conference on Wednesday, when a variety of 4G phones will be launched by domestic and international players.