Xuan Wenwei, China region technical director of Ruckus Wireless, a U.S-based wireless networking equipment provider, has revealed that China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) recently started a new tender for WLAN equipment. Currently, China Unicom is in the process of making initial stage preparations with equipment manufacturers. The tender amount and the cities where the equipment will be deployed are not yet known.

Unlike in its past WLAN procurements, for the current tender China Unicom has issued separate requirements for 802.11a/b/g and 802.11n equipment, possibly signaling a next step towards deployment of wireless cities based on 802.11n.

In 2010, China Mobile (NYSE: CHL; 0941.HK) and China Telecom (NYSE: CHA; 0728.HK) each bought 370,000 units and 40,000 units of WLAN equipment, while China Unicom bought 200,000 units. As of the end of 2010, China's three telecom operators had deployed 176,000 WLAN hot spots, of which China Mobile had 35,000. Moreover, China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou earlier this year said that China Mobile plans to increase its total number of Wi-Fi hotspots to 1 mln units within three years.

China Telecom will reportedly also begin a new tender for WLAN equipment.