China Telecom Invites Tender for 5m 3G Handsets

China Telecom (NYSE: CHA, HKG: 0728), one of the nation's top three wireless carriers, will soon put out a tender offer for five million 3G-backed mobile phones with a price range from ¥700-1,999 ($1 = ¥6.83), people with knowledge of the issue said Thursday. A prospective bidder will be required to supply at least 10,000 units. China Telecom attracted 3.05 million CDMA users in January, taking the total number to over 59 million.