The dream of wireless communication so real it is like talking face to face has been realized at the Shanghai Expo, where the latest in telephony shows what fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication will be like.

The wireless system on display - complete with a liquid-crystal display panel with top-quality sound and images - uses TD-LTE, the 4G mobile network standard developed by telecom companies China Mobile, the nation's largest telecom operator.

The International Telecommunication Union has selected a TD-LTE version known as LTE-Advance as one of candidates to be the international 4G standard. The final decision is expected in October.