But China Unicom and China Telecom are also stepping up the pace of investment in 4G projects.

Wang Xiaochu, chairman of China Telecom, said the company will invest 10 billion yuan in 4G trial network construction this year. The figure will climb to 45.7 billion yuan in 2014.

China Telecom released its 4G brand on Dec 10. It will reportedly commence 4G services in China in the first quarter of next year.

China Unicom said its 4G network will largely rely on FDD-LTE technology, the other mainstream 4G telecommunication standard that is widely adopted globally. Lu Yimin, general manger of China Unicom, said the company plans to launch 150 models of 4G smartphones in 2014.

"China Unicom's 4G network is going to be a 4G mobile network with the best coverage and user experience in the country. It will have a download speed of up to 150 Mbps," Lu said at a forum recently.

New brand

China Mobile also revealed its new brand called He (which translates as "and") on Wednesday, mainly targeting the upcoming 4G mobile business.

The logo for the new brand features green and peach colors. It combines the English word "and" with the Chinese character for he, along with a rosy exclamation mark.

Li Yue, chief executive officer of China Mobile, said the logo signifies connection and communication. In addition, "and" is the acronym for "a new dream," which signifies China Mobile's intention to provide Chinese customers with the most advanced technology in the 4G era.

China Mobile's current brands including GoTone, EasyOwn, M-Zone and G3 for 3G mobile services - will be phased out after the launch of He, according to company officials.