China Telecom E-News, May 28-June 17, 2000
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China Unicom, Vodaphone Agree To Collaborate On Mobile-Phone Technology
China Unicom, the No.2 telecom company in potentially the world?s largest
cellular phone market and Vodaphone, the leading cellular phone provider
signed an agreement to collaborate on mobile-phone technology and services
in China. Initially, the deal will allow their subscribers to roam in each
others territories, but the deal could lay the foundation for a larger
contribution by Vodaphone in advance of China?s membership to the WTO.
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Qualcomm Signs Chinese R&D Deals
Qualcomm has signed a series of research and development pacts in China,
industry executives said, marking a small step forward for the US mobile
technology firm after the setback earlier regarding China?s decision to
adopt Qualcomm?s standard.
The agreements allow eight Chinese telecommunications companies to license
Qualcomm's CDMA mobile phone technology to develop new handsets and
equipment. Qualcom would also supply CDMA, or code division multiple
access, chipsets and software to the companies.
The companies declined to divulge how much the agreements were worth to
Qualcomm.
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China Unicom Scraps Qualcomm Phone Plan
In a move that will no doubt create ripples from Silicon Valley to
Washington, China Unicom confirmed that it won?t use for at least three
years Qualcomm?s CDMA technology for its cellular phone market. Instead,
China Unicom will use its own proprietary technology known as TD-CDMA, a
proposed standard the telecom company feels will be the future of its
mobile phone market. So instead of Qualcomm reaping the rewards of the
largest potential mobile phone market, the US company will take a seat
while China?s TD-CDMA assumes the role as the gateway technology for the
new network.
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Lucent and Huawei Cooperate on Broadband Communications Project
The Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies and Shenzhen Huawei
Technologies Co. recently established a joint telecommunications
technology lab. The two companies plan to cooperate extensively in the
areas of microelectronics and photoelectronics, and to develop more
intelligent and flexible comprehensive broadband communications network
systems.
Shenzhen, Guangdong-based Huawei Technologies is a large Chinese telecom
equipment manufacturer with 1999 sales exceeding US$1.5 million.
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China Mobile Chooses iBasis for International Internet Telephony Service
China Mobile Telecommunications Corporation (China Mobile) has chosen
iBasis Inc.?s iBasis Network for global Internet telephony. Under the
terms of the agreement, China Mobile will be able to route international
voice and fax traffic from its over 46 million customers over the global
iBasis Network. In addition, iBasis will be able to terminate its
international traffic onto China Mobile's extensive network.
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AsiaInfo's Billing Software Selected for China Netcom's National VoIP
Backbone
AsiaInfo Holdings, a leading provider of Internet infrastructure solutions
and software products in China, announced that its VoIP billing software,
AIOBS VoIP, has been selected by China Netcom (CNC), China's third largest
telecom operator. AsiaInfo's AIOBS VoIP billing software will be used in
the second phase expansion of CNC's VoIP project. This project will reach
100 major cities in China covering an estimated 8 million pre-paid card
users. AIOBS VoIP software will support all of the IP services provided by
CNC including IP telephony, fax, 800 number service, Virtual Private
Networks (VPN) and Voice-mail boxes.
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Chinadotcom to Invest US$150 Million in Japanese Internet Companies
Chinadotcom Corp., a Hong Kong- based Web site operator, said it will
invest up to US$150 million in Japanese Internet companies, a week after
it set aside US$350 million for expansion in Korea and China. The firm,
which owns and operates the china.com, hongkong.com and taiwan.com Web
sites, said it will invest US$100 million in Korean Internet companies
within the next 18 months. Earlier it said it would invest US$250 million
in China to add content to its Web sites.
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Hartcourt Subsidiary to Deliver Financial Content to Nokia Mobile Phones
Distributed in China
The Hartcourt Companies Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Shanghai Guo
Mao Financial Corporation, a company owned by Hartcourt's Sinobull Group,
has signed a strategic alliance agreement to form a joint development
partnership with a China's top tier Nokia distributor, Shanghai Industry
Foreign Trade Telecom Corporation (SIFTT). The multi-year joint
development effort will offer Chinese mobile users new Nokia handsets and
wireless data terminal products integrated with Shanghai Guo Mao's leading
financial content.
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Hutchison Whampoa and China Putian Form US$17 Million Optical Transmission
Venture
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., Hong Kong's largest business group, has formed a
joint venture with China Putian Industrial Corp., China's biggest telecom
equipment maker, to develop optical transmission products and services.
Hutchison Whampoa (China) Ltd., a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, and
CPIC will initially invest RMB143 million (US$17.3 million) into the new
company, Chongqing Hutchison Optel Telecom Co., Ltd. The new company will
focus on developing optical transmission equipment, building up a national
sales and customer service network. Earlier, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. has
signed an agreement with the parent of China Unicom Ltd., China's No. 2
telephone company, to form an alliance and to cooperate in various
telecommunications activities in China.
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