Reuters reports today that China’s government has announced its three mobile operators will spend CNY400 billion (US$58.5 billion) over the next three years building 3G networks. Previous reports have stated that US$41 billion will be spent in the next two years alone. The government also today confirmed earlier reports that China Mobile will spend CNY58.8 billion (US$8.6 billion) in 2009 on nationwide deployment of a 3G network based on China’s homegrown standard, TD-SCDMA. The world’s largest mobile operator is expected to build around 60,000 base stations by the end of this year, when its TD-SCDMA coverage will serve more than 70 percent of all Chinese cities.

Rivals China Unicom and China Telecom will launch 3G services based on global standards WCDMA and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, respectively. China Telecom plans to launch its 3G service in 100 cities within the next three months, including the entire area of Beijing. China Unicom plans to launch 3G services in 55 cities in China in the first half of this year, expanding this to 282 cities by the end of the year. Reuters notes that both smaller operators will each spend about CNY30 billion this year on their 3G networks. 3G licenses were finally awarded to the country’s operators earlier this month, ending years of speculation over China’s 3G fate.