He Huajie, deputy general manager for China Unicom's product center, said during China's Communications Industry Development Summit that China Unicom will start 3G commercial use in 285 cities across China from September 28, 2009.

He revealed that since the launch of China Unicom's 3G commercial trial on May 17, 2009, the number of its users has reached 350,000.

He said due to the concentrated purchase, the cost of its 3G network has been reduced and it also allows China Unicom to further expand its network coverage.

He said, in the future, the 3G businesses and its full-service operation will become the two major drives for the development of China Unicom. The company will adjust its structures in various business segments and enhance the contributions of non-voice services and new services to promote the continuous and healthy development of its services.