EADS Secure Networks, a unit of the European aerospace and defense giant EADS, sees the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing as a major opportunity to expand its professional mobile radio (PMR) business in China.

 

PMR provides communications services, such as surveillance and security applications, to government bodies, including security forces.

 

Jean-Marc Nasr, chief executive officer of EADS Secure Networks, said the firm has been in talks with the Beijing authorities and the firm's Chinese partners about the deployment of PMR products for the Olympics.

 

"Communications are key to guaranteeing security" at big events such as the Olympic Games, he said.

 

"We must ensure all people involved, including organizers, fire workers and policemen, are able to work together and communicate with each other in a timely manner."

 

EADS Secure Networks has provided PMR products at other big events, such as the Torino Winter Olympic Games 2006 and the F1 motor racing Grand Prix in Bahrain, also this year.

 

Early this month, EADS and Siemens were chosen as preferred bidders for a nationwide PMR public security network in Germany. This will be based on a standard called TETRA (terrestrial trunked radio).

 

Nasr said the deal could be worth hundreds of millions of euros.

 

He added that EADS Secure Networks is positioned to win big orders for the Beijing Olympics, after EADS acquired Nokia's PMR business last year.

 

Nokia was strong in the TETRA technology field and a partner of Beijing JustTop Network Communications Co Ltd, a PMR service provider in Beijing.

 

JustTop is a unit of fixed-line telephone carrier China Netcom, one of the communications partners for the Beijing Olympics.

 

Nasr expects the Olympics could create business opportunities worth 3 billion euros for communications companies.

 

JustTop is already deploying PMR networks in areas neighboring Olympic venues in Beijing.

 

And the firm is awaiting the government's approval to complete indoor network coverage.

 

EADS, after buying the Nokia unit, will be able to improve its competitiveness in the Chinese PMR market, Nasr said. As part of the acquisition, EADS has access to Nokia's technologies.

 

Currently EADS holds a 50 percent share of the PMR market in China.

 

"Our objective is to become a major player in Asia, especially in China," Nasr said.

 

"We are seeing growing needs for PMR in China, both in the public service and commercial sectors."

 

A PMR network built by JustTop for Beijing municipal government had more than 30,000 users by the end of last year, according to statistics provided by EADS.

 

EADS' customers in China include Shenzhen Metro, Jinan Airport and Tianjin Water.

 

Its major rival is US communications giant Motorola.

 

Motorola provided equipment for two TETRA networks at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

 

It has been calling for the building of two TETRA networks for the Beijing event.

 

(China Daily March 24, 2006)