Network launch set

China United Telecommunications (China Unicom), the country's second-largest mobile phone operator, has announced that its CDMA (code division multiple access) network is expected to be put into use next October, Xinhua reports. Chairman Yang Xianzu said the network would be able to provide service to 13.3 million users on completion of the first phase of construction. The network, a key project supported by the state, covers almost all major areas including more than 200 cities and prefectures across the country.