NEC Aims For Annual Y30 Billion Sales From China 3G Mobile Tech

TOKYO -(Dow Jones)- Japan's NEC Corp. (6701.TO) aims for an annual Y30 billion in sales from infrastructure-related operations for third-generation mobile technology in China, a company spokeswoman said Monday.

Although European and U.S. companies currently dominate the Chinese market for mobile phone infrastructure-related services, NEC aims to boost its presence as China shifts to 3G technology that allows mobile phones and similar devices high-speed access to video and Internet connections. Such services are currently popular in Japan and South Korea.

It's still unclear when the Chinese government will give license approval for 3G mobile technology to the country's telecom carriers. But people in the industry expect the year-long process to be concluded by mid-2005 or late next year.

The NEC spokeswoman said the largest Japanese telecom equipment maker set up in November a showroom in Guangdong, Guangzhou Province, to start business talks with local carriers for ground stations and other infrastructure-related equipment.

Once the Chinese government approves 3G mobile licenses for local carriers, NEC will initially aim for annual sales of around Y30 billion in such operations as designing infrastructure and maintaining related systems, she said.

NEC has also been expanding its marketing of mobile-phone handsets in China recently.

-By Natsuo Nishio, Dow Jones Newswires; 813-5255-2929;natsuo.nishio@dowjones.com
-Edited by Bennett Richardson

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 27th December 2004