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The internationalization of TD-SCDMA (time division synchronous code division multiple access) technology, the homegrown third generation (3G) wireless telecommunications standard, will accelerate this year, according to Wang Jing, secretary-general of the TD-SCDMA Forum.
"We will enhance our promotion activities this year to better expose the technology to the international market," he told China Daily in an interview over the weekend.
"We believe it's the right time to do the promotion as the technology is developing extremely fast and reaching maturity," he said.
The domestic 3G technology is catching on fast all over the world as more and more international telecoms firms get involved.
Siemens, Qualcomm, Nortel Networks, Motorola, Alcatel, Samsung, UTStarcom and LG Electronics are getting increasingly interested in the technology.
TD-SCDMA is regarded as the most advanced solution for mobile operators with unpaired frequency bands.
The standard has been increasingly watched since the government strongly hinted in January that it is likely to release 3G licences this year.
According to the Ministry of Information Industry's 3G testing schedule, final trials of the TD-SCDMA networks should be completed by the end of June.
Operationally untested, TD-SCDMA is lagging behind the other 3G standards - European-based WCDMA (Wideband CDMA) and the United States' Qualcomm-based CDMA2000.
Many analysts say they believe that the TD-SCDMA system must be successful in China before the standard goes global.
"Nevertheless, we should promote the technology right now instead of waiting for its maturity," said Yang Hua, secretary-general of the TD-SCDMA Alliance, an organization dedicated to promoting the 3G system.
According to Wang, the TD-SCDMA Forum officially became the market representative partner of 3GPP, a 3G organization under the International Telecom Union in June 2003.
Last June, it signed a co-operative agreement with the GSM Associationto develop TD-SCDMA and WCDMA.
"The partnerships have contributed a lot to enhancing the influence of TD-SCDMA internationally," he said.
"We are currently in contact with CDG (CDMA Development Group) to assess the possible co-operation," he said, expecting an agreement to be reached very soon.
CDG promotes CDMA technology.
Wang is confident the TD-SCDMA system will realize its target of becoming commercially available by the end of June.
"We are happy to see that the whole industrial chain is becoming stronger and more internationalized than ever before," he said.
More than 10 handset makers are to display more than 20 new mobiel phone models supporting the TD-SCDMA system next week during the 2005 TD-SCDMA International Summit in Beijing.
The forum to be held from April 26-27 will showcase the latest industry developments and exhibit the most up to date products and services.
(China Daily April 18, 2005)
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