Mobile operators in China and India could put out bids for building of 4G trial networks as early as year-end, says Alcatel-Lucent.

As one of the key suppliers of China Mobile’s TD-LTE network at the Shanghai World Expo that began in May and runs through the end of October, Alcatel-Lucent is providing indoor broadband mobile coverage for visitors.

"The calendar is we hope by year-end the trial networks will be announced, and partners selected and trials will start," Rajeev Singh-Morales, Asia Pacific president of Alcatel Lucent, told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum.

At least two carriers in India, which only recently awarded licenses for 4G, also known as LTE, were also moving aggressively in the 4G space, he added.

Last month Alcatel-Lucent was reported to be in talks with various service providers, including Reliance Industries and Tikona Digital Networks for deploying infrastructure for mobile broadband services.