Lucent said it was first vendor to complete CDMA2000 voice and high-speed data wireless calls for 2.1 GHz that’s being evaluated as option for wireless carriers to offer commercial service in China. Lucent said it completed calls at its wireless research labs using CDMA2000 2.1 GHz test terminal and its CDMA2000 infrastructure. It said it completed voice calls and high-speed mobile data services at speeds of up to 153 kbps via laptop PC connection. In Aug., CDMA Development Group and 8 wireless vendors signed memorandum of understanding to deliver CDMA2000 infrastructure, terminal equipment and technology for 2.1 GHz equipment in China. Lucent said first equipment was being developed to support 3G trials for China’s Ministry of Information Industries. Meanwhile, shares of CDMA developer Qualcomm dropped Tues. following analyst report that China had set its sights on its own advanced wireless technology, Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD- SCDMA). Deutsche Bank Securities reported plan in research note without identifying sources. TD-SCDMA reportedly is based on Qualcomm’s technology but isn’t covered under agreements between that company and China’s mobile carriers.
Exports to China
Ericsson signed $150 million contracts with China Unicom to upgrade existing cdmaOne networks to CDMA2000 1X. Contracts also cover expansion of Ericsson’s original first phase contracts with China Unicom. Carrier has installed CDMA2000 1X technology in Sichuan Province with 10,000 paying subscribers.
Satellite officials are fearful of lengthy delays in obtaining visas may hurt future industry trade shows and may cause relations with some non-U.S. companies to break down, they said. “The visa situation with China certainly could have a long-term effect on cultural business and scientific relations between the U.S. and China,” satellite consultant Timothy Logue said: “I think it should be of concern of every organizer of space satellite or telecommunications conferences in this country which count on significant involvement of foreigners.” Logue has been working on problems on behalf of several clients who do business with foreign companies.
China Unicom awarded Lucent and Nortel 2nd part of CDMA wireless contracts, which companies valued at “hundreds of millions” of dollars. Lucent will provide CDMA 1X equipment, enabling China Unicom to offer high-speed wireless data services at speeds of up to 153 kbps. Lucent said upgrades, across 10 provinces in China, would add capacity for 5 million more subscribers by Jan. China Unicom and Lucent had tested CDMA 1X version of technology last Oct. in Shanghai, demonstrating Internet access and streaming video at speeds of up to 153 kbps. While Lucent put value of agreement at “hundreds of millions of dollars,” Nortel said its series of contracts was worth $280 million. Nortel’s equipment will be used to expand China Unicom’s CDMA network capacity in provinces of Heilongjiang, Henan, Jiangxi, Shandong, Zhejiang. Nortel said it expected upgrades to be final in one year. It said equipment would help Chinese carrier to migrate to all IP-based, packetized network. Contract signings took place in N.Y.C., with Commerce Secy. Donald Evans and China State Development Planning Commission Chmn. Zeng Peiyan in attendance.
CEOs of GSM wireless operators agreed to restructure GSM Assn. to replace existing governance with board composed of heads of wireless network operators. Group said creation of board was driven by need to speed introduction of common international platforms and to introduce new services and 3G networks. Board includes CEOs of AT&T Wireless, China Mobile, Cingular, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Singtel Optus, Sonera, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Vodafone. Group restructuring was approved at GSM Assn.’s plenary meeting in Istanbul. Changes will take effect Jan. 1.
MARRAKESH, Morocco -- Voluntary monetary contributions are down so dramatically that ITU’s proposed financial plan for next 4 years -- developed in long sessions by administration committee -- may have to be rethought, Secy.- Gen. Yoshio Utsumi said late Tues. afternoon at Plenipotentiary (Plenipot) Conference here. Although deadline for member states to declare their contributory units still was 15 months away, 10 countries already had announced cutbacks, prompting Itsumi to say that if financial plan was serious one, “I cannot implement” it. Last week delegates agreed on upper limit of 315,000 Swiss francs (CHF) for next 2 years, and 330,000 CHF for following 2 years. Exact number of contributions wasn’t known at our deadline.
Market in China is booming, and it’s right time for U.S. businesses “to get access to some key decision makers there to establish relationships,” NTIA Dir. Nancy Victory said at public briefing Fri. “While the rest of the world’s economies were slowing down, [China’s] economy had grown by 8% just last year. It’s an excellent time to introduce our industry to their economy,” Victory said. Telecom Industry Assn. (TIA) Pres. Matthew Flanigan said China was adding 8 million lines per month -- 5 million wireless and 3 million wireline. “It equates to about $11-12 billion telecom equipment market growing every year. That’s an exciting potential… We want to be part of it,” Flanigan said. NTIA and TIA will hold China-U.S. telecom summit Feb. 20-23 in Xiamen, Southeastern China, one month before China’s Information Industry Minister Wu Jichuan will step down. However, Victory said: “If we were to wait till new administration gets established, we would have to postpone [the summit] for about a year.” She said provincial ministers “who are not likely to change” are important to make contacts with: “We don’t want to let all these current opportunities for U.S. businesses pass by.” Said Flanigan: “It’s undecided who will take over… However, the market is too dynamic to wait.” -- www.tiaonline.org/policy/regional/asia/chinasummit/index.cfm
OpenTV said it was powering interactive TV (iTV) features for CCTV’s broadcast of Asian Games. Interactive version of largest sporting event in Asia became available to CCTVsi (CCTV Sports Interactive) viewers in late Sept. in 18 provinces and 66 cities in China. Multiscreen, multi-angle iTV sports application was co-developed by OpenTV and CCTV to broadcast Asian Games. Interactive broadcast is expected to run through Oct. 14.
New Skies NSS-7 satellite is being used by China Central TV to provide coverage of 2002 Asian Games that end Oct. 14, New Skies said.
Various elections continued this week at International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference in Marrakesh. On Wed., delegates reelected Houlin Zhao of China and Hamadoun Toure of Mali to head Telecommunication Standardization and Telecommunication Development Bureaus, respectively. Valery Timofeev of Russia was selected for first term as dir., Radiocommunication Bureau. Elections for 46-member ITU Council took place in Thurs. plenary session. Results are: (1) Region A (Americas) -- Canada, U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela, Suriname. (2) Region B (Western Europe) -- Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, France, Norway, Turkey, Italy. (3) Region C (Eastern Europe) -- Russia, Romania, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic. (4) Region D (Africa) -- Morocco, Cameroon, South Africa, Algeria, Kenya, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Ghana. (5) Region E (Asia & Australasia) -- India, China, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Pakistan, Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran. Radio Regulations Board seats filled Thurs. include representatives from: (1) Region A -- Mexico, U.S. (2) Region B -- France, Hungary. (3) Region C -- Yugoslavia, Poland. (4) Region D -- Morocco, Cameroon, Nigeria. (5) Region E -- India, Republic of Korea, Pakistan.