China Develops "Chinese Third Generation" StandardThe International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has formally accepted China's proposal to make its 3rd generation (3G) wireless interface specification standard "TD-SCDMA" an international standard. This is the first time that China has proposed its own standard and been adopted by the ITU.Experts estimate that the total capacity for global third generation mobile telecommunications market will reach US$1 trillion. The Chinese standard will hopefully turn China's telecommunications industry around. On August 15 of this year, China Telecommunications Institute held a "Chinese Third Generation" technical symposium in Beijing. Experts from the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) Telecommunications Science Technology Institute and Siemens gave detailed reports on the newest developments in "China's Third Generation" system, network technology and terminal technology. In actuality, when the standard was first proposed, Telecommunications Science and Technology Institute and Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group had already began working on a third generation mobile telecommunication system and terminal based on the "TD-SCDMA" technology. According to the head of the MII Telecommunications Science and Technology Institute TDD project, Dr. Li Shihe said that they have already finished assembling the "Chinese Third Generation" intelligent antenna. Unlike other mobile telecommunications antennas, there are eight microband antennas in this antenna. This is the core technology of the "Chinese Third Generation." He also said that there are four stages in the research and development of the system. The first stage is the pre-analytical stage, which took them a year. The second stage is the analytical stage, which took them from January to July of this year. They are currently in the third stage, which is designing the product and manufacturing it. All of they have begun manufacturing all of the hardware and writing all of the software programs, which should take four months, until November. Then they will began testing the products. Dr. Li said that they should finish research and developing the system by the end of this year and began testing during the first quarter of next year. At the symposium, Siemens undoubtedly attracted the most attention. Early in 1998, the MII Telecommunications Science Technology Institute and Siemens signed an agreement. Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group and Siemens would work together to develop the system. The Chinese side has already invested 200 million renminbi to develop the "Chinese Third Generation." Siemens will contribute US$40 million and work with the Chinese. Research and development teams have already been set up in Beijing, Munich, Vienna and Milan. Siemens (China) Ltd. Vice-President Lan Leide said the "Chinese Third Generation" research and development is at the top of their list. Siemens thinks very highly of the "Chinese Third Generation" technology and thinks that it has enormous market potential. Siemens has 500 researchers in China and will invest US$100 million in the project. Currently, both sides are providing half of the researchers to develop this technology. In addition, Siemens is setting up a 2G and 3G Mobile Phone Research and Development Center in Beijing. Well-known manufacturers around the world have expressed a strong interest in the joint project. According to sources from both the MII and Siemens, the "Chinese Third Generation" research and development lineup will expand soon. Dr. Li Shihe said, the future will be "Chinese Third Generation's" world, it will be present in many products that touch people's lives. More than 200 representatives from 60-plus state departments, telecom enterprises, and manufacturers attended the symposium to discuss all aspects of the "Chinese Third Generation." Zhou Huan, head of the MII Telecommunications Science Technology Institute and president of Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group, said whether or not the "Chinese Third Generation" standard could become an international standard and the research and development could remain on schedule would depend on whether it received the whole-hearted support of government departments, telecommunications businesses, organizations and manufacturers. The MII and other government departments have given the "Chinese Third Generation" system enormous support, appropriating trillions of yuan to the research and development work and touring the research labs on numerous occasions. To meet the challenges of the third generation mobile telecommunications project, eight large domestic enterprises have set up a "Third Generation Mobile Telecommunications Intellectual Copyright Alliance." Currently, China's two largest mobile phone companies - China Mobile and China Unicom - have already said that they would support the "Chinese Third Generation" standard. |
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