China will open a trial run of FDD-LTE fourth-generation networks in major Chinese cities, industry insiders said.

The industry regulator is scheduled to announce the program Friday afternoon, said Wang Xiaochu, chairman of China Telecom.

Wang did not disclose details of the new government decision that may alter the landscape of the nation's young and vibrant 4G market.

"The new 4G standard will enable us to compete with the leaders and better serve our customers," he said.

Sources from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirmed the news with China Daily, saying the permit will be released soon.

China kicked off 4G services about six months ago but only allows carriers to use TD-LTE technology, a homegrown telecom standard.

The FDD technology is more accepted globally. Countries such as Germany, South Korea and Brazil use FDD-LTE networks.

Era of 4G to bring changes to China	China Telecom ready to take on the world