ZTE, Other 3G Device Providers Play Active Role in Deploying 3G Networks in China

CCID, a research firm in China disclosed recently in an industry report which predicted that the rapid deployment of 3G networks in China will eventually result in the creation of about 660,000 3G subscriber lines by Q3 this year. This will make China the country with the largest 3G network construction in the world.

According the report, the total 3G lines in China will be split among the three largest telecom operators in the mainland - China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network will create more than 300,000 3G lines, China Unicom will construct about 200,000 in building its UMTS lines, while the rest will be attributed to China Telecom's CDMA2000 deployment.

A research firm that has been focusing on China's ICT development over the last two decades, CCID also presented industry figures in the said report, segregating the market share of leading 3G equipment providers. ZTE leads among all vendors that have supplied 3G equipment in China with 29.3% share, followed by Huawei with 21.9%. Other vendors that have been helping operators create 3G carrier frequency include Datang, Ericsson, Nokia-Siemens, Alcatel-Lucent occupied the market share of 12.6%, 10.9%, 6.8%, 6.8%, respectively.

The success of both ZTE and Huawei in providing 3G equipment solutions in China further validates CCID's observation that local 3G equipment vendors that supply TD and CDMA solutions have a competitive edge over other vendors. CCID also emphasised in the report that the active involvement of both ZTE and Huawei in the constructions of China Unicom and China Telecom's 3G networks fully demonstrates their strong ability in helping carriers deploy large-scale WCDMA and CDMA2000 networks.

The report also underlines China's home-grown 3G technology competitive price point, a key feature that will have a strong appeal among international operators, particularly those in Europe and the US, in light of the current global financial crisis when most carriers are looking for cost effective technology options.

In the area of UMTS technology, ZTE together with Huawei, and Ericsson are among the top three vendors, according to the CCID report.

Posted to the site on 10th March 2009