Chen Jinqiao, an official from the Ministry of Information Industry, has disclosed to Hong Kong media that the Chinese government will probably issue fewer 3G licenses than earlier expected.

Chen also said that the licensing agencies would probably limit the coverage of these licenses.

With this announcement, it is likely that some 3G licenses will be issued to serve specific regions of China, instead of the whole country as previously expected.

Although the exact number and timeframe of the 3G issuance has not been disclosed, it is predicted that three will be issued within the next two to three months.