BEIJING, May 19 -- China Mobile Ltd, the nation's No. 1 mobile carrier, said yesterday that it will more than double the number of its 3G base stations to 200,000 this year in a push to expand its TD-SCDMA coverage nationwide, the Shanghai Daily reported.

Last year, China Mobile built 80,000 3G stations. In March, the number of its 3G users jumped 79.67% month on month to 7.69 million, and its total user base increased to 780 million.

China Mobile's net profit in the first quarter of the year was RMB 25.2 billion, 1.1% more than a year earlier. Revenue for the first three months grew 7.7% from a year earlier to RMB 109.09 billion.

The world's largest mobile carrier earlier said it has won approval to set up a unit in Taiwan. The establishment of the unit, which will be called Zong Co, paves the way for China Mobile's investment in Taiwan's Far EasTone Telecommunications Co Ltd.

China Mobile, together with the country's other two telecom operators, received a 3G license in January 2009.