Globe Telecom skipped 3G when it jumped straight to HSDPA (a 3.5G technology). But it seems mainland China is taking an even bigger leap forward, launching its first 4G service in Shanghai. The so-called "FuTURE Project" isn't a full-fledged service. Some lucky souls will apparently be able to enjoy the commercial trial, set for 2006 to 2010. Surely they'll make the most of their speedy access to the treasure trove of porn information that is the Internet.

What I find particularly interesting however, is how quickly telco standards are changing. Many GSM providers are bringing it up to UMTS at least, when this Chinese initiative looks to play on a whole new level. The costs of upgrading infrastructure are of course still expensive. And this presents established service operators a dilemma, and new players an opportunity. Since the former can start from scratch, while the latter might be forced to shell out for a new network just to keep up.