China Academy of Telecommunications Technology (CATT) and UK-based Thales Instruments Ltd signed an agreement Thursday in Hong Kong to jointly develop test equipment of TD-SCDMA system for the third generation (3G) mobile network.
Under the agreement, both parties will provide solutions for production, installation and maintenance of networks, base stations and user terminals starting the end of 2001.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Yang Yigang, vice president of CATT, said the cooperation will be a substantial driving force for the commercialization of TD-SCDMA system and he is confident that CATT and Thales will have great success in bringing forward the provision of TD-SCDMA products.
TD-SCDMA, one of the 3G standards officially recognized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), provides an easy to install, cost-effective network infrastructure with at least five times the subscriber capacity of the current GSM standard. It can be implemented within the GSM network already established throughout China.
Greg Maton, director of Thales Instruments Radio Communications Test Business, said the alliance with CATT underlines the pre-eminent position of Thales in the field of the global test equipment business.
Thales is committed to making substantial investment in the development of 3G mobile radio communications in China, potentially one of the largest 3G mobile communications markets in the world, he added.
(xinhua 06/14/2001)
