Posts Tagged China
China Telecom to buy 50m CDMA handsets in 2009
Interfax China reports that China Telecom plans to purchase 50 million CDMA handsets in 2009, of which around 20 million will be CDMA2000 1xEV-DO capable. Quoting an employee of the cellco’s handset division, Ma Daojie, Telecom opened bidding for the first CDMA2000 1x EV-DO contract at the end of 2008 and has since finished selecting terminals, including handsets and wireless data cards. The results of the tender will be released ‘soon’. Ma said according to his company’s calculations, the operator will sell an average of 50,000 CDMA handsets per day in 2009.
Add comment February 9, 2009
China Unicom turns to Spanish partner for 3G advice
China Unicom and Telefonica have signed a framework cooperation agreement on the development of 3G in the People’s Republic. The agreement aims at enhancing cooperation in the mobile communications, W-CDMA, broadband application, international business, marketing and corporate services arenas.
Telefonica’s interest in Unicom is by virtue of the Chinese company’s recent merger with China Netcom, in which the Spaniards had a 7.22% stake. In September 2008 Telefonica announced that it would boost its stake in China Netcom by 2.7% for EUR368 million, prior to Netcom merging with China Unicom. The Spanish firm subsequently purchased an additional 3.03% stake of the unified company for between EUR392 million and EUR434 million from AllianceBernstein. Telefonica now owns more than 5.5% of the combined China Unicom-China Netcom, and is the company’s single largest private investor.
Add comment February 6, 2009
China- PHS networks to make way for TD-SCDMA
According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China Telecom and China Netcom (now part of China Unicom) have been ordered to close their XiaoLingTong (XLT, or Little Smart) PHS networks so as to clear the spectrum for the use of TD-SCDMA, the Chinese homegrown 3G standard. The low-cost PHS service grew rapidly following its launch in 1998, claiming more than 100 million subscribers at its peak. Its popularity prompted cellular operators China Mobile and China Unicom to slash prices, resulting in a fall in XLT users to 68.9 million at the end of 2008.
Add comment February 4, 2009
First SIMpass-enabled Mobile Phone Launched in China
China Unicom has launched a mobile phone based payment service in the city of Chongqing which enables users to use their phone to pay for transport tickets and at various retailer for normal purchases. The ‘Cqpass’ is a multi-system mobile payment service first to use the SIMpass enabled custom-made mobile phone that was unveiled in Chongqing last month. SIMpass is a Single Card Near Field Communication (SC-NFC) platform. The custom-made mobile phone for this service is developed under the cooperation between China Unicom, Chongqing Yucheng Transportation Card, Guohong Telecom and Digital Group and Watchdata that provided the SIMpass technology.
The Cqpass mobile payment service has all the functions similar to the regular Yucheng Tong Card and can be used to pay for bus rides, cable car rides, hotels, parks entrance and restaurants. Apart from these functionalities, it also features transaction record query and card number display.In 2009, the project will start the development of its second stage of application that would link the subscriber’s bank account to enable the OTA top-up functionality.
Add comment January 29, 2009
China Unicom selects W-CDMA vendors
According to The South China Post, five firms have won significant contracts from China Unicom in the tender for the deployment of W-CDMA infrastructure. The winners have been announced as Huawei, Ericsson, ZTE, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent all winning a share of the spoils. The results were released in the form of percentages awarded to various equipment suppliers: Huawei, which has a partnership with Motorola, was the largest winner with a 30.6% share of the 70,000 base station deployment; Ericsson which partners Fiberhome Telecommunication Technologies and Guangzhou New Postcom Equipment won a 26.5% share; ZTE won 21.5%; Nokia Siemens Networks 11.1%; and Alcatel-Shanghai Bell 10.2%.
China Unicom plans to deploy 3G networks in 55 cities in the first half of this year, spending RMB30 billion (USD4.39 billion), and 280 cities by the end of 2009, at a cost of RMB60 billion. The firm is targeting the completion of the first flagship city networks by 17 April and the first commercial network launches on 17 May 2009, the paper says.
1 comment January 28, 2009
BRIC Economies to Experience Strong Mobile User Growth, Reaching 1.64bn by 2013
The increasing availability of broadband-enabled mobile networks, aided by falling prices of sophisticated handsets and data charges, will underpin continued strong growth in mobile phone usage in Brazil, Russia, India and China (collectively referred to as the BRIC markets), from 1.21 billion in 2008 to 1.64 billion by 2013, according to a report published by Juniper Research.
Aided by the existing strong mutual interdependence and trading partnerships between these four countries – which are tapped to become the largest economies in the world by 2050 – this growth in mobile services uptake will be able to defy the general economic slowdown and recession that is already affecting other markets and regions arguably more exposed to fluctuating capital market conditions.
Add comment January 28, 2009
LTT plans WiMAX launch in Libya
Libyan internet service provider (ISP) Libya Telecom and Technology (LTT) plans to launch its first commercial WiMAX wireless network, and says it hopes to start with WiMAX coverage, including mobile WiMAX, in 18 cities. LTT hopes the deployment will provide internet access via a USB dongle plugged into a laptop to anyone within 50km of one of its towers. The operator’s new system, which has initial capacity for 300,000 subscribers, will begin signing up business users from next week and residential customers the week after.
Libya is home to around 51,000 broadband subscribers, while a further 170,000 of the population rely on slower dial-up internet access. The slow pace of broadband development in the country is hampered by poor PSTN provisioning, and the infrastructure that does exist is by and large outdated and limited in terms of coverage. LTT’s WiMAX network, which does not reply on the PSTN, will sidestep this problem and allow the operator to help bridge the so-called ‘digital divide’ in Libya when it launches the service priced at USD30 per month and a one-off payment of USD400 to include the USB device.
Libya Telecom and Technology is a pioneer in the internet and ICT field and has been in operation since 1997. It has signed equipment contracts with Huawei and ZTE of China for the new WiMAX network which will offer maximum connections speeds of 70Mbps. The new network is expected to go live in the first half of next year.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Huawei readied itself for Android launch
We already knew Huawei’s gearing up to enter the Android smartphone market, and have confirmed plans to show its first device at Mobile World Congress which will happen on February. We haven’t seen any Huawei set as of yet, so the new phone might just stay in China. Huawei isn’t the only one with Android phones this year, Samsung is also planning a launch of their own. So stay tuned for more Android action on down the road.
Add comment January 23, 2009
Government announces three-year 3G investment plan (China)
China’s three 3G mobile licensees will invest a total of RMB400 billion (USD58.5 billion) over the next three years in building out their networks, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced today in a statement quoted by Reuters. According to a previous government statement issued in December, the three cellcos – China Mobile (licensed for the homegrown TD-SCDMA technology standard), China Unicom (W-CDMA licence) and China Telecom (CDMA2000-based concession) – are expected to invest USD41 billion in third-generation networks in the next two years, including up to USD29 billion in 2009. China Mobile earlier this month announced a 3G CAPEX of USD8.6 billion in 2009, whilst according to the Ministry’s latest statement, China Unicom and China Telecom will each spend around half the larger cellco’s total, USD4.4 billion, on 3G development this year. This amounts to an annual total CAPEX of USD17.4 billion, significantly less than the previous reported estimate of USD29 billion.
Add comment January 22, 2009
Ghana Telecom inks 3G deal with Huawei
Ghanaian fixed line and mobile operator Ghana Telecom (GT) has inked a USD120 million contract with China’s Huawei Technologies to upgrade its existing 2G network with 3G technology. The project is expected to take 18 months to complete, at which date GT’s mobile service, which will soon be rebranded to Vodafone Ghana, will be able to offer high speed internet access, multimedia content and videocalling, amongst other advanced features.
Add comment January 22, 2009
Russia’s MTS picks Huawei for 3G Armenia network
MTS, Russia’s largest mobile phone service provider, has selected China’s Huawei Technologies to supply gear for its third-generation (3G) network in Armenia, the Russian company said on Friday. MTS said in a statement Huawei, China’s largest telecoms equipment maker, will supply base stations and controllers but gave no size of the contract. The carrier, part of services conglomerate Sistema, plans to launch the network this spring.
Add comment January 19, 2009
Unicom to launch 3G services in May
China Unicom will launch its W-CDMA network on 17 May, citing industry insiders. Unicom is expected to complete the bidding process for suppliers of W-CDMA equipment by the end of January, with network construction due to begin the following month. The Chinese telecoms operator has already launched trial 3G services in seven cities, and plans to invest RMB100 billion (USD14.64 billion) in 3G network construction over a two year period.
Add comment January 13, 2009
China issues 3G mobile phone licenses
China assigned third-generation mobile phone licenses Wednesday to three carriers in a long-awaited step that is expected to prompt $41 billion in spending on new equipment.
Licenses were granted to China Mobile Ltd., China Unicom Ltd. and China Telecom Corp., the Ministry of Indutry and Information Technology said. Third-generation, or 3G, technology supports Web surfing, wireless video and other services and the start of service is expected to spur new revenue growth.
The awarding of licenses was delayed while China’s government developed its own technology to compete with two global 3G standards.
The Chinese-developed standard, TD-SCDMA, was assigned to China Mobile, the world’s biggest phone carrier by subscribers. That appeared to be an effort to make sure the new system has the financial and technical backing to succeed.
The two global standards, WCDMA and CDMA-2000, were assigned to China Unicom and China Telecom, respectively.
According to AIKresearch’s databse, China has 650 million mobile phone accounts, and Chinese carriers are expected to spend 280 billion yuan ($41 billion) on new equipment.
Such sales will be important to global suppliers Motorola Inc., Alcatel-Lucent SA, Nokia-Siemens Networks and Ericsson AB as demand elsewhere slumps. But they face competition from fledgling Chinese producers.
Add comment January 7, 2009
China to start issuing 3G licences
China’s government, the State Council, agreed on 31 December 2008 to start issuing licences to mobile operators for developing 3G networks, reports Chinese news agency Xinhua. It was agreed at an executive meeting of the State Council that the conditions for handing out the licences were mature. China’s 3G networks will be based on three technological standards, including the Chinese-developed TD-SCDMA , Europe’s WCDMA and North America’s CDMA 2000.
Add comment January 5, 2009
RTEC Mobile Lanka soon to launch as a GSM operator in Sri Lanka
RTEC Mobile Lanka, a privately owned telco is all set to launch itself as a GSM and SCDMA operator in the Sri Lankan telecommunication market. According to the Managing Director of RTEC Mobile Lanka B.A.C. Abeywardena, the telco will provide mobile (GSM) services and fixed phone with broadband internet services islandwide.
The service provider is expected to invest $100 million in the project initially. The firm has obtained TRC approval and planning to commence their operations within six months and intends a 100% coverage in two years.
The fixed phones will be manufactured in China according to designs provided by the company and the GSM equipment will also be imported from China. RTEC Mobile Lanka will set up 1000 base stations in the country and also expects to utilise the existing base stations to provide the service.
“We are confident that we could compete with the other players in the industry by providing our services for a cheaper rate with high quality. The company expects to price its call charges at least 25 per cent less than the cheapest call charges available in the market at the moment, he said.
“Maintaing minimum operational cost and using local expertise could help us to provide our services for a lesser price. We are planning to manufacture most of our equipment in the country”.
“We think this is the right time to enter into the market even with the current economic conditions. The whole world is facing an economic crisis and it will last for another one to two years. “This economic crises has resulted in price declines in construction goods and lessened competitiveness. It will create more opportunities for newcomers, he said.
1 comment December 30, 2008
Nokia And Motorola Dominate China’s Smartphone Sales
Apple and RIM may be eating into its share of the smart phone market in developed markets, but Nokia is still king of the smart phone in China, where its third quarter share of sales reached an overwhelmingly dominant 69.3 percent, according to a new research report from China research group CCID Consultancy.
Nokia does especially well, CCID found, as the handset maker has a product offering that spans the low, mid, and high tiers of the market. There was also good news for the embattled Motorola, which has the second largest share of the Chinese smartphone market, cornering 19.9 percent of Q3 sales. Motorola does best with the mid-range of the market. The combined share of the two companies accounts for nearly 90 percent of smartphone sales in China. In third place, was local handset maker Dopod (4.7 percent), followed by Korean electronics firm Samsung (2.5 percent).
As for the actual number of handsets sold, the figure was 7.474 million, staying mostly flat (up 0.6 percent from the second quarter). Sales revenues in the third quarter hit 18.17 billion yuan ($2.65 billion), up 4.5 percent from Q2. Smart phone sales accounted for 19.3 percent of total mobile phone sales in China.
CCID expects China’s smartphone sales to grow moderately, but may see a boost from the launch of Android-based smart phones, which the research group said has caught the attention of many phone manufacturers in China.
Add comment December 18, 2008
Vodafone Turkey chooses Huawei for 3G
Vodafone Turkey has contracted Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies to provide equipment for its 3G network rollout. ‘We signed a five-year agreement with Huawei, which we believe will offer the best technical solution for 3G,’ Ian Gray, head of Vodafone Turkey, said in a statement which was quoted in a Reuters’ report. Vodafone, plus rivals Turkcell and Avea, won 3G licences in Turkey earlier this month.
Add comment December 16, 2008
China to grant 3G licences ‘as early as year-end’
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology today confirmed that the country will issue 3G mobile licences by the end of 2008 or early next year. Minister Li Yizhong said at a media briefing that China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have prepared well for 3G licensing. ‘After the proper procedures, we will grant the 3G licences by the end of this year or early next year, as promised.’ Li estimates that network investment of the three major Chinese telecom operators will amount to over RMB200 billion (USD29.19 billion), which will stimulate China’s economy and help to fend off the financial crisis.
China’s 3G licensing has been delayed as a result of the government’s support for China’s home-grown 3G mobile telecommunications standard TD-SCDMA. It is believed that this standard still needs some more time to compete with rival technologies. Last year China Mobile rolled out a pre-commercial TD-SCDMA network in eight cities, which provided 3G services during the Beijing Olympic Games. Li confirmed that China Mobile will be granted a TD-SCDMA licence, while China Telecom and China Unicom will get licences based on CDMA2000 and W-CDMA standards respectively.
Add comment December 15, 2008
