I ask simply because I can't find any information on its estimated time length and I want to know how to balance this with the BF3 beta.

As long as it takes, presumably. I've been playing on Tribble and there are a lot of issues to work out, most notably the dilithium system. We currently can only get miniscule amounts of dilithium. They're optimistically hoping a few weeks, but I won't be surprised if it takes longer.

I think it's kind of up in the air until we see a full implimentation of Dilithium.

You and me both bud, but the BF3 beta ends on the 10th I believe. This has at least weeks to go based on the Dev F2P article.