RIM’s BlackBerry to Hit China by Mid ’06

On Wednesday, Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the popular BlackBerry handheld, said it plans to launch its wireless e-mail offering in China with cell carrier China Mobile by mid-year 2006, Reuters reports via the Washington Post.

The Chinese market could mean massive growth for Ontario, Canada-based RIM, as it is the largest telecommunications market in the world, and China Mobile owns two-thirds of it, according to Reuters. China Mobile is the world’s leading cell carrier based on subscribers, Reuters reports.

RIM Asia Pacific Vice President Norm Lo told Reuters, “Our talks with China Mobile are going very well. We are working very closely with them, and a deal is expected very soon, probably by the middle of the year.”

The company also plans to debut a new BlackBerry device that employs third-generation mobile technology later this year, according to Reuters.

RIM’s wireless e-mail service is currently available through at least 160 carriers in 60 countries across the globe, and it will also be offered via 100 additional telecom providers by the end of 2006, including more than 10 in the Asia Pacific, Lo told Reuters.

Just last month, RIM doled out $612.5 million to end a long-running legal dispute with patent holding firm NTP over the technology behind the company’s BlackBerry device. For more, check out our BlackBerry on the Edge page.

For related news coverage, read BlackBerry, Meet China Unicom’s RedBerry.

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