This is a very big deal. From what I’ve read (sorry can’t find link, but will keep looking), Unicom has almost as many viable potential iPhone customers as China Mobile whose numbers are bloated by state sponsered for the masses dumb phones.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/11/30/china_unicom_on_the_verge_of_selling_apples_iphone_4s.html