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China Unicom to Push 2.5G Wireless CDMA in Shenzhen



SHENZHEN, Mar 03, 2003 (SinoCast via COMTEX) -- China Unicom Shenzhen will push 2.5G CDMA-based wireless Internet access services in Shenzhen one year after operation of CDMA networks. The 2.5G networks adopt WCDMA technology that is one of ITU's three 3G standards. It is CDMA2000 1X a transition between 2G and 3G.

Execs of China Unicom Shenzhen say CDMA is becoming mature after high speed growing period. Its carriers will play a role of macro-controlling.

Chen Wu, general manager of China Unicom Shenzhen, says the schedule of CDMA1X's commercial operation has been put off, but the networks of CDMA1X have been completed in Guangdong Province and it has good performance during testing. But the schedule of operation is depending on the final decision of China Unicom Group. Chen Wu expects it may be May 2003.

China Unicom Shenzhen expresses all domestic mobile phone vendors are not optimistic about the future of CDMA market although China Unicom gives most profits of terminal market to them. The styles and volumes of CDMA mobile phones in the market are limited long time after operation of CDMA businesses. So China Unicom has to purchase more than 1 million mobile phones from foreign countries for bind-selling to start the market.

China Unicom says now several mobile phone vendors are producing CDMA1X mobile phones, most which are international or joint venture companies.

China Unicom this year hopes to hit newly subscribed CDMA users of 250,000.
From Shenzhen Business Daily, Page 8, Friday, February 28, 2003
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KEYWORD: SHENZHEN
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Marketing
Investment
SUBJECT CODE: Computers, Telecom and Information Technolog