China will start 4G mobile communications services before the end of the year, a moment Chinese smartphone owners have long been waiting for.

Media and industry insiders expect China Mobile to first start 4G services on December 18, which means the company will get a 4G license before that.

The 4G services, once established, will bring the most advanced telecommunications technology to the country’s more than 1 billion mobile users, speeding up internet surfing and video phone calls.