According to Guangdong Information Industry Department, Guangdong is planning the first wireless city group in China and people in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan might soon by able to surf the Internet with a unified wireless network.

Lv Depei, vice director of Guangdong Information Industry Department, says that there are currently more than 600 cities that are undergoing wireless construction in the world and by 2010, the number will be about 1,500. The concept of a "wireless city", which is called the fifth public utility in China, has become an irreversible global trend. Lv says.

As an important part of the "Digital Guangdong" program, the construction of the wireless city group is suggested in a report completed by the provincial information industry department and the report has been approved by the respective provincial governments. However, details about costs and date of construction are not yet available.

Several cities in China have begun construction of wireless networks and some of them like Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou have already begun trial operations. In Beijing, a wireless service is now available in areas within the Third Ring Road via terminals with Wi-Fi or WiMax functionality. It is expected to cover areas within the Fifth Ring Road by the end of 2008 and the whole city by 2010.