Telecommunications industry in China
Encyclopedia
The telecommunications industry in China
is dominated by three state-run businesses: China Telecom
, China Unicom
and China Mobile
. The three companies were formed by a recent revolution and restructuring launched in May 2008, directed by Ministry of Information Industry (MII), Nationals Development and Reform Commissions (NDRC) and Minister of Finance. Since then, all the three companies gained 3G licenses and engaged fixed-line and mobile business in China.
As a result of China’s entry to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) in 2001, a new regulatory regime is now being established and foreign operators are gradually being allowed to access the market. Although Chinese customers keep complaining that they need to pay higher prices for products and services and receive lower-quality services than customers in America
or Europe
, foreign travellers often feel that telecommunication services in China are cheap and convenient.
As China’s 2nd generation of mobile communications equipment market is dominated by European and North American companies and because of the unique characteristics of mobile communications, most of China’s mobile communications equipment demands are filled by imports. The quickly rising Chinese manufacturers, however, led by Huawei Technologies and ZTE
are turning to South American, Southeast Asian and African countries for business opportunities and are increasingly raising their market share in China.
As of 2009, Huawei Technologies is expected to surpass Nokia-Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent to become the 2nd largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment.
As of June 2010, there were a total of 1.1 billion phone users in China, of which 306 million were fixed-line telephone users, and 796 million were mobile phone users.
operators have invested an average of 25 billion US dollars on network infrastructure in the last years, which will be more than all western European carriers combined. As a result, with 1.3 billion citizens, China owns the world’s largest fixed-line and mobile network in terms of both network capacity and number of subscribers.
Only one out of ten Chinese citizens had a phone five years ago. Today more than one out of three have a fixed telephone subscription and more than 1.25 million cellular subscribers sign up in China every week.
China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 11, 2001 resulted in the gradual opening of the telecom services market to foreign companies.
China’s two mobile operators, China Mobile
and China Unicom
, will continue to expand their mobile networks in 2005 in a way that not only increases network coverage but also gives flexibility to offer more data services to their customers. They will continue to have great demand for base stations, switches and network optimization solutions.
In 1998, due to a ministerial reorganization, the MTP was replaced by the new Ministry of Information Industry (MII). The MII took two large scale reshuffling actions targeting the inefficient state-monopoly.
In 1999 the first restructuring split China Telecom’s business into thee parts (fixed-line, mobile and satellite
). China Mobile and China Satcom were created to run, respectively, the mobile and satellite sectors but China Telecom continued to be a monopoly of fixed-line services.
The second restructuring in 2002 split China Telecom geographically into North and South: China Telecom - North kept 30% of the network resources and formed China Netcom (CNC) and 70% of the resources were retained by China Telecom - South or simply the new China Telecom. Parallel to this double fission, the telecommunications division of the Ministry of Railways (MOR) established a new actor in 2000: China TieTong.
These resources consisted of a 2,200,000 km long nation-wide optical network, based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode
(ATM), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
(DWDM) technologies and several submarine cables, in particular with the USA, Japan, Germany and Russia.
To sum up, in the last decade the Chinese telecom industry has changed from a state-run monopolistic structure to state-run oligopolistic structure.
In May 2008, MII, NDRC and Minister of Finance announced the third restructuring proposal and also launched three 3G licenses. With the rapid development and serious competition, Chinese telecom operators face challenges on shrinking landline users, too rapid growth on mobile business, low profit services and great gaps among the carriers. The third revolution was to combine six main telecom operators into three, aiming of developing 3G business and full telecom services, and avoiding monopolistic and over competition.
Following its WTO accession, China is starting to make plans, including adopting western-style telecommunications law and setting up an independent regulatory and arbitration body to deal with the telecom operators.
As part of the WTO commitments, the Chinese government is opening gradually the carriers market to foreign investors. There are some geographical limits to this opening but they will be progressively relaxed. In 2005 foreign investors will be allowed for form joint venture
s, investing up to 50% in Internet services in the whole country, up to 49% in the mobile sector in 17 major Chinese cities and up to 25% in fixed-line basic services in Beijing
, Shanghai
and Canton (Guangzhou
). Finding a Chinese partner to form a joint venture with, preferably a major carrier is mandatory for a foreign company wishing to access the Chinese market.
Foreign investments come, in order of importance, from the United States, Canada
, Sweden
, Finland
, Germany
, France
, Japan
and South Korea
. Main companies from these countries already have one or more Joint Ventures. Notice that many of them result in divorce.
technology, IP (Internet Protocol) telephony and services associated with mobile communications such as Short Messaging Service
(SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service
(MMS), ring tone
download etc. Premium SMS connectivity is allowing entrepreneurs and established businesses to profit from revenue taken directly from users' monthly phone bills or pre-paid credit. One of the first companies to offer such Chinese Premium SMS connectivity to the world market and to advise on the regulations and requirements involved are mBILL via http://clients.txtnation.com/entries/197192-china-premium-sms-regulations. Chinese operators are often cautious in purchasing cutting-edge technologies. Mobile communication, especially Global System for Mobile (GSM) is the most profitable sub sector and reports 46% of all total revenues.
Halfway between mobile and fixed, Xiaolingtong is a limited mobility service based on Personal Access System (PAS) / Personal Handy Phone System (PHS) technology. It consists of a wireless local loop
that provides access to the fixed-line network. With over 50 million users, PAS/PHS competes in big cities head to head with traditional mobile services since prices are typically far cheaper.
), China Mobile (GSM and TD-SCDMA
) and China Unicom (GSM and WCDMA). The State has control and majority ownership of all of them. Most of them are financed in Hong Kong
.
, Cisco
, Ericsson
, Nortel
and Siemens
- as well as the major international suppliers of portable phone sets - Ericsson
, Motorola
, Nokia
, Samsung
, and also Siemens - are well known in China.
A large number of Chinese companies compete now with foreign corporations not only in the Chinese market but also in other countries. Datang is the main TD-SCDMA
manufacturer, and UTStarcom
, the main PAS/PHS manufacturer. Huawei
leads the SMS market and Great Wall stands out in the broadband sector. Other recognized Chinese equipment suppliers are Shanghai Bell and Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE). Furthermore, Amoi
, Konka, Ningbo Bird
and Kejan are the most representative Chinese mobile phone manufacturers.
s, to provide online games and mobile games in 2005. This can be a market of billions of U.S. dollars. Online gaming/mobile gaming developers work with the telecom operators directly or work with gaming operators and ISPs/ICPs to market their games in China.
networks to provide their customers with fast and easy wireless access to the internet. The fixed line telecom operators will continue to promote ADSL and other broadband access technologies in China.
(NENA) in the United States, China has not yet developed a national technical standard for its emergency response system. At present, large and economically well-off cities in China like Beijing
, Tianjin
, Nanning
and Chengdu
have started building public safety networks by introducing TETRA
-based digital trunking system that integrate with their existing analogue
systems. More Chinese cities followed in 2005. There has been development of database software, interoperability consoles and data management systems.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
is dominated by three state-run businesses: China Telecom
China Telecom
China Telecom Corp. Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company. It is the largest fixed line service and 3rd largest mobile telecommunication provider in the People's Republic of China.-Sectors:...
, China Unicom
China Unicom
China Unicom or China United Netcom Ltd , is a Chinese state-owned telecommunications operator in the People's Republic of China.-History:...
and China Mobile
China Mobile
China Mobile Limited is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world...
. The three companies were formed by a recent revolution and restructuring launched in May 2008, directed by Ministry of Information Industry (MII), Nationals Development and Reform Commissions (NDRC) and Minister of Finance. Since then, all the three companies gained 3G licenses and engaged fixed-line and mobile business in China.
As a result of China’s entry to the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO) in 2001, a new regulatory regime is now being established and foreign operators are gradually being allowed to access the market. Although Chinese customers keep complaining that they need to pay higher prices for products and services and receive lower-quality services than customers in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, foreign travellers often feel that telecommunication services in China are cheap and convenient.
As China’s 2nd generation of mobile communications equipment market is dominated by European and North American companies and because of the unique characteristics of mobile communications, most of China’s mobile communications equipment demands are filled by imports. The quickly rising Chinese manufacturers, however, led by Huawei Technologies and ZTE
ZTE
ZTE Corporation formerly Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corporation is a Chinese multinational telecommunications equipment and systems company headquartered in Shenzhen, China...
are turning to South American, Southeast Asian and African countries for business opportunities and are increasingly raising their market share in China.
As of 2009, Huawei Technologies is expected to surpass Nokia-Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent to become the 2nd largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment.
As of June 2010, there were a total of 1.1 billion phone users in China, of which 306 million were fixed-line telephone users, and 796 million were mobile phone users.
Introduction
The Chinese telecommunication sector’s growth rate was about 20% between 1997 and 2002. China fixed-line and mobileMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
operators have invested an average of 25 billion US dollars on network infrastructure in the last years, which will be more than all western European carriers combined. As a result, with 1.3 billion citizens, China owns the world’s largest fixed-line and mobile network in terms of both network capacity and number of subscribers.
Only one out of ten Chinese citizens had a phone five years ago. Today more than one out of three have a fixed telephone subscription and more than 1.25 million cellular subscribers sign up in China every week.
China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 11, 2001 resulted in the gradual opening of the telecom services market to foreign companies.
China’s two mobile operators, China Mobile
China Mobile
China Mobile Limited is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world...
and China Unicom
China Unicom
China Unicom or China United Netcom Ltd , is a Chinese state-owned telecommunications operator in the People's Republic of China.-History:...
, will continue to expand their mobile networks in 2005 in a way that not only increases network coverage but also gives flexibility to offer more data services to their customers. They will continue to have great demand for base stations, switches and network optimization solutions.
Historical overview
Before 1994, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MTP) provided telecom services through its operational arm, China Telecom. Pressured by other ministries and dissenting customers, the Chinese government officially started the telecom industry reforms in 1994 by introducing a new competitor: China Unicom. China Unicom could hardly compete with the giant China Telecom.In 1998, due to a ministerial reorganization, the MTP was replaced by the new Ministry of Information Industry (MII). The MII took two large scale reshuffling actions targeting the inefficient state-monopoly.
In 1999 the first restructuring split China Telecom’s business into thee parts (fixed-line, mobile and satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
). China Mobile and China Satcom were created to run, respectively, the mobile and satellite sectors but China Telecom continued to be a monopoly of fixed-line services.
The second restructuring in 2002 split China Telecom geographically into North and South: China Telecom - North kept 30% of the network resources and formed China Netcom (CNC) and 70% of the resources were retained by China Telecom - South or simply the new China Telecom. Parallel to this double fission, the telecommunications division of the Ministry of Railways (MOR) established a new actor in 2000: China TieTong.
These resources consisted of a 2,200,000 km long nation-wide optical network, based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a standard switching technique designed to unify telecommunication and computer networks. It uses asynchronous time-division multiplexing, and it encodes data into small, fixed-sized cells. This differs from approaches such as the Internet Protocol or Ethernet that...
(ATM), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
Wavelength-division multiplexing
In fiber-optic communications, wavelength-division multiplexing is a technology which multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths of laser light...
(DWDM) technologies and several submarine cables, in particular with the USA, Japan, Germany and Russia.
To sum up, in the last decade the Chinese telecom industry has changed from a state-run monopolistic structure to state-run oligopolistic structure.
In May 2008, MII, NDRC and Minister of Finance announced the third restructuring proposal and also launched three 3G licenses. With the rapid development and serious competition, Chinese telecom operators face challenges on shrinking landline users, too rapid growth on mobile business, low profit services and great gaps among the carriers. The third revolution was to combine six main telecom operators into three, aiming of developing 3G business and full telecom services, and avoiding monopolistic and over competition.
Regulatory environment
The MII is responsible, among other duties, for elaborating regulations, allocating resources, granting licenses, supervising the competition, promoting research and development and service quality as well as for developing tariff rates. The MII has built up a nation-wide regulatory system composed of Provincial Telecommunications Administrations (PTA) with regulatory functions within their respective provinces. A number of other significant institutions also influence the industry, such as the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC).Following its WTO accession, China is starting to make plans, including adopting western-style telecommunications law and setting up an independent regulatory and arbitration body to deal with the telecom operators.
Foreign participation
Prior to its WTO accession, China’s policy protected the national emerging telecom industry since it was and is a national priority sector. Only foreign equipment vendors were allowed to invest in China. Authorization for the investments was conditioned on technology transfer. International telecom carriers were banned from accessing the market.As part of the WTO commitments, the Chinese government is opening gradually the carriers market to foreign investors. There are some geographical limits to this opening but they will be progressively relaxed. In 2005 foreign investors will be allowed for form joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
s, investing up to 50% in Internet services in the whole country, up to 49% in the mobile sector in 17 major Chinese cities and up to 25% in fixed-line basic services in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Canton (Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
). Finding a Chinese partner to form a joint venture with, preferably a major carrier is mandatory for a foreign company wishing to access the Chinese market.
Foreign investments come, in order of importance, from the United States, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Main companies from these countries already have one or more Joint Ventures. Notice that many of them result in divorce.
Market overview
As of June 2010, China has 306 million fixed-line subscribers and 796 million mobile customers, totaling 1.1 billion telephone users. Chinese telecom operators focus their effort on voice. Revenues from data only account 5%. New technologies are being deployed to provide differential services. These technologies include ADSL, wireless LANWireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
technology, IP (Internet Protocol) telephony and services associated with mobile communications such as Short Messaging Service
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
(SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.The most popular use is to send photographs from...
(MMS), ring tone
Ring tone
A ringtone or ring tone is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call or text message. Not literally a tone, the term is most often used today to refer to customizable sounds used on mobile phones.-Background:...
download etc. Premium SMS connectivity is allowing entrepreneurs and established businesses to profit from revenue taken directly from users' monthly phone bills or pre-paid credit. One of the first companies to offer such Chinese Premium SMS connectivity to the world market and to advise on the regulations and requirements involved are mBILL via http://clients.txtnation.com/entries/197192-china-premium-sms-regulations. Chinese operators are often cautious in purchasing cutting-edge technologies. Mobile communication, especially Global System for Mobile (GSM) is the most profitable sub sector and reports 46% of all total revenues.
Halfway between mobile and fixed, Xiaolingtong is a limited mobility service based on Personal Access System (PAS) / Personal Handy Phone System (PHS) technology. It consists of a wireless local loop
Wireless local loop
Wireless local loop , is a term for the use of a wireless communications link as the "last mile / first mile" connection for delivering plain old telephone service and/or broadband Internet to telecommunications customers....
that provides access to the fixed-line network. With over 50 million users, PAS/PHS competes in big cities head to head with traditional mobile services since prices are typically far cheaper.
Telecom operators
As of 2009, the telecom operators in China are exclusively Chinese: two fixed-line operators with nation-wide licenses - China Telecom and China Unicom - three mobile carriers - China Telecom (CDMA and CDMA2000CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
), China Mobile (GSM and TD-SCDMA
TD-SCDMA
Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access or UTRA/UMTS-TDD 1.28 Mcps Low Chip Rate , is an air interface found in UMTS mobile telecommunications networks in China as an alternative to W-CDMA. Together with TD-CDMA, it is also known as UMTS-TDD or IMT 2000 Time-Division .The term...
) and China Unicom (GSM and WCDMA). The State has control and majority ownership of all of them. Most of them are financed in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
- China TelecomChina TelecomChina Telecom Corp. Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company. It is the largest fixed line service and 3rd largest mobile telecommunication provider in the People's Republic of China.-Sectors:...
is one of the largest telecommunication SOE in China, including 31 nearly autonomous provincial enterprises in mainland China. It runs land-line and mobile phone networks, operates PASPersonal Handy-phone SystemThe Personal Handy-phone System , also marketed as the Personal Access System and commercially branded as Xiaolingtong in China, is a mobile network system operating in the 1880–1930 MHz frequency band, used mainly in Japan, China, Taiwan, and some other Asian countries and...
system and provides telecom network-based voice, data, multimedia and information services. In 2008, the company acquired CDMA network from China Unicom. A second focus point is broadband based on Ethernet and ADSL. In Jan 2009, China Telcom was one of the three companies having 3G license, CDMA2000.
- China MobileChina MobileChina Mobile Limited is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company that provides mobile voice and multimedia services through its nationwide mobile telecommunications network, the largest of its kind in the world...
not only operates basic GSM services but also value-added services such as General Packet Radio ServiceGeneral Packet Radio ServiceGeneral packet radio service is a packet oriented mobile data service on the 2G and 3G cellular communication system's global system for mobile communications . GPRS was originally standardized by European Telecommunications Standards Institute in response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode...
(GPRS) data transfer, a TD-SCDMA 3G network, IP telephony and multimediaMultimediaMultimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
. It ranks the first in the world in terms of network scale and customer base.
- China UnicomChina UnicomChina Unicom or China United Netcom Ltd , is a Chinese state-owned telecommunications operator in the People's Republic of China.-History:...
merged with China Netcom in Oct 2008 and obtained WCDMA license in Jan 2009. The company offers mobile phone services, operates domestic and international landline network, and provides broadband multimedia services and IP telephony and value-added services.
- China NetcomChina NetcomChina Netcom, full name China Netcom Group Corporation Limited , abbreviated CNC, was a former telecommunication service provider in People's Republic of China...
was acquired by China Unicom in Oct 2008.
- China Satcom is formerly licensed to engage in all kind of satellite related services such as transponderTransponderIn telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...
lease, domestic television broadcasting, public Very Small Antenna Aperture (VSAT) communications, video conferencing, data broadcasting, IP telephony and satellite based high-speed Internet access. In March 2009, the company officially announced its basic telephone services (excluding satellite transponder lease and sales) were merged with China TelecomChina TelecomChina Telecom Corp. Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned telecommunication company. It is the largest fixed line service and 3rd largest mobile telecommunication provider in the People's Republic of China.-Sectors:...
. The other part, satellite related services will be merged with China DBSAT, (ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 中国直播卫星有限公司).
- China TieTong, formerly affiliated with the national rail network, is a smaller operator that merged with China Mobile in May 2008.
- China Voice Holdings Corp is also licensed to engage in video conferencing, data broadcasting, IP telephony and satellite based high-speed Internet access and is the largest corporation in conjunction with foreign owned corporations which hold many of the state run contracts for the Chinese government.
Network equipment suppliers in China
The leading international suppliers of network equipment - Alcatel-LucentAlcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
, Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
, Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
, Nortel
Nortel
Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, was a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada...
and Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
- as well as the major international suppliers of portable phone sets - Ericsson
Ericsson
Ericsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, and also Siemens - are well known in China.
A large number of Chinese companies compete now with foreign corporations not only in the Chinese market but also in other countries. Datang is the main TD-SCDMA
TD-SCDMA
Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access or UTRA/UMTS-TDD 1.28 Mcps Low Chip Rate , is an air interface found in UMTS mobile telecommunications networks in China as an alternative to W-CDMA. Together with TD-CDMA, it is also known as UMTS-TDD or IMT 2000 Time-Division .The term...
manufacturer, and UTStarcom
UTStarcom
UTStarcom is a Fortune 1000 company that specializes in IP-based networking products for telecommunications companies and service providers. Its core markets are multimedia communications and broadband, including IP and entertainment , next generation broadband networks and optical network solutions...
, the main PAS/PHS manufacturer. Huawei
Huawei
Huawei is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China...
leads the SMS market and Great Wall stands out in the broadband sector. Other recognized Chinese equipment suppliers are Shanghai Bell and Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE). Furthermore, Amoi
Amoi
Amoi Technology Co., Ltd. is a Chinese electronics manufacturing company based in Xiamen, Fujian province, China. It is a mobile service provider which integrates manufacturing, R&D and sales of mobile communication devices.-History:...
, Konka, Ningbo Bird
Ningbo Bird
Ningbo Bird is a Chinese manufacturer of mobile phones.The company was established in 1992 in Fenghua and, in 1997, became China’s largest pager manufacturer. Ningbo Bird started manufacturing mobile phones in 1999. It was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange the next year...
and Kejan are the most representative Chinese mobile phone manufacturers.
Online and mobile gaming
Chinese fixed line telecom operators will work with their business partners, online gaming operators and ISPs/ICPICP
-Business:* International Comfort Products Corporation, a company that manufactures and markets central air conditioning systems, gas and oil furnaces* Indonesian Crude Price...
s, to provide online games and mobile games in 2005. This can be a market of billions of U.S. dollars. Online gaming/mobile gaming developers work with the telecom operators directly or work with gaming operators and ISPs/ICPs to market their games in China.
Wireless LAN
Chinese fixed line telecom operators, China Telecom, China Netcom and China Tie Tong (formally China Railcom), may increase their efforts in building wireless LANWireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
networks to provide their customers with fast and easy wireless access to the internet. The fixed line telecom operators will continue to promote ADSL and other broadband access technologies in China.
Public safety system
With increasing awareness of the importance of government’s ability to deal with critical situations, there is a growing demand for emergency response systems in China. Without an organization like the National Emergency Number AssociationNational Emergency Number Association
The National Emergency Number Association is an organization whose mission it is to foster the technological advancement, availability, and implementation of a universal emergency telephone number system in the United States. In carrying out its mission, NENA promotes research, planning, training...
(NENA) in the United States, China has not yet developed a national technical standard for its emergency response system. At present, large and economically well-off cities in China like Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
and Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
have started building public safety networks by introducing TETRA
Tetra
thumb|right|250px|Pristella tetra — [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|Golden Pristella tetra, a [[morph |morph]] of [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|[[Silvertip tetra]] — Hasemania nana....
-based digital trunking system that integrate with their existing analogue
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
systems. More Chinese cities followed in 2005. There has been development of database software, interoperability consoles and data management systems.
See also
- Mobile phone industry in China
- Communications in China
- Digital divide in ChinaDigital divide in ChinaOver the past decade there has been an explosion in the use of Information and Communications Technologies in Mainland China. As the largest developing country in the world, China faces a severe digital divide, which exists not only between Mainland China and developed countries, but also among...
- Electronic information industry in ChinaElectronic information industry in ChinaThe electronic information industry in China grew rapidly after the liberalization of the economy under the national strategic policy of accelerating the "informatization" of its industrial development....
- Economy of the People's Republic of ChinaEconomy of the People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...