China to have 30 million 4G users by 2014

Subscribers to the fourth-generation telecom network, which came into commercial use in December, are likely to surpass 30 million by 2014 as the nation encourages more information consumption, industry watchdogs said.

More than 3,000 Chinese cities will get 4G coverage by the end of 2014, according to Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China Mobile Ltd, the world's largest carrier by subscriber number, plans to launch 4G services in 13 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Its coverage is set to reach more than 340 cities by the end of 2014.

The total value of information consumption in China will hit 2.2 trillion yuan ($361 billion) by the end of this year, a jump of 27 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry.

It estimated the amount could exceed 3 trillion yuan by 2015, representing roughly 4.5 percent of the nation's GDP.