Nokia to supply dual band handsets to China Mobile

China Mobile Ltd<941>, the country's largest cell phone carrier, will sign a contract with Nokia today, which will allow the Finish firm will supply dual band handsets compatible with both GSM and homegrown TD-SCDMA networks in the Chinese mainland next year.

The Chinese carrier is also in talks with Motorola and Sony-Ericsson on the supply of dual band handsets, according to Wang Jianzhou, chairman of China Mobile.

After the restructuring in China's telecommunication industry, China Mobile Ltd will invest more in improving the coverage in rural areas, Wang noted.

China Mobile announced the result of its TD-SCDMA tender earlier this month, with China Datang Mobile Co Ltd, ZTE Corp and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd being the major winners.