China United Telecom (China Unicom), the world's third biggest mobile telecommunications carrier, said Monday it plans to release mobile phone handsets in mid-July this year with dual-band technology that shares data and voice service between GSM and CDMA users.

An official with China Unicom explained that users of the new handsets carrying both GSM and CDMA SIM cards will be able to switch between GSM and CDMA networks, and enjoy roaming service in countries where only one of the networks is available.

The technology built by the company has passed primary tests.

The official said the introduction of the new handset will also help attract new mobile phone subscribers as Unicom's GSM and CDMA networks cover almost the whole Chinese mainland. Its mobile telecommunications users exceeded 100 million by May 5.

Wang Jianzhou, board chairman and president of China Unicom, displayed three handsets compatible with GSM and CDMA networks in March at an annual business meeting. The handsets were manufactured by Samsung, LG and Motorola.

The company is working to set the price of the new mobile phone handset at that of a CDMA mobile phone handset of same category.

The state-owned company was set up a decade ago by China to break the monopoly of the state-owned China Mobile over the country's mobile telecommunications market.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2004)