China Telecom launches experimentation project on next-generation network

　　Zhongxing's softswitch equipment has won the experimentation project on next-generation network of the China Telecom as the only home-made equipment. This is the second operator's construction project won by Zhongxing's softswitch equipment after it clinched a deal in bidding for NetCom's broadband telephone experimentation project in November 2001.

　　 As network technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, the China Telecom has decided to start experimentation with next-generation network. The purpose is to subject softswitch to complete experimentation so as to ascertain its advanced nature and feasibility when used in construction of next-generation network. Softswitch system of the Zhongxing Communications has been highly regarded by China's telecom experts. Ideaa behind its system structure has found full expression in experimentation plan on next-generation network.

　　 Zhongxing's softswitch equipment had earlier obtained permit for trial use on network issued by the Ministry of Information Industry. This is so far the only network access permit issued to softswitch equipment in China.

 

China's broadest data communications path built by China Telecom

　　The China Telecom revealed recently that the Shanghai-Hangzhou 10 Gbit/s circuit, so far the broadest data communications path, has been built up and put into operation. Acceptance test showed that the circuit is up to standard in every aspect and operation is stable.

　　 It is learned that the path is equipped with 10 Gbit/s IP over DWDM technology. Furthermore, bandwidth of IP path and port that were used extensively in the past was upgraded from 2.5 Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s in the whole country for the first time. This has accumulated technical and maintenance experiences for the China Telecom to build in the future 10 Gbit/s path in the whole country. At the same time, operation of the path has enabled the China Telecom to become the only operator in China capable of providing 10 Gbit/s data broadband path. Data transmission capability of the path has reached internationally advanced level.

 

H.K. plans to open up fixed-line telecom network service market

　　Starting from January 1, 2003, Hong Kong will open up fully its fixed-line telecom network service market.

　　 To fully open up telecom market is an international trend conducive to Hong Kong. As a matter of fact, Hong Kong has benefited greatly from a market being opened up gradually. In 1999-2000 period, IDD tariff rate in Hong Kong was lowered substantially saving 9.4 billion Hong Kong dollars for consumers. Furthermore, monthly rent for the 2 Mbit/s international dedicated line from Chinese mainland to Hong Kong was lowered since 2000 by 86% from 140,000 to 20,000 Hong Kong dollars.

　　 At present, number of operators of local fixed-line telecom network service in Hong Kong has reached 10. Quality of broadband service has been improved and innovation is much in evidence. Number of broadband users increased from 51,000 in February 2000 to 543,000 in October 2001, showing an increase of more than 10 times in less than two years time. Monthly charges for broadband service stand at 200 Hong Kong dollars on average, making Hong Kong one of the regions in the world with the cheapest tariff rates for such service. At the same time, more and more fixed-line telephone users have the choice of more than one service providers offering a monthly rent ranging from 48 to 88 Hong Kong dollars.

　　 The Hong Kong Telecom Administration has decided to open up fully fixed-line telecom network service market starting from 2003. Policy guide has been issued and interested parties are invited to apply for licenses. Guided by the opening up policy, the government will neither pre-determine number of licenses to be issued nor set a deadline for applying licenses.

 

Mobile communications becomes largest telecom service in China

　　China's mobile communications has been growing at high speed over the years. In less than two years time from late 1999 to November 2001, number of mobile phone users in China increased by 224% from 43.23 million to 140 million while mobile phone density was raised from 2.99% to 9.2%. Income from mobile phone service increased from 86.3 billion RMB yuan to 144.9 billion RMB yuan, up 67.9%. Proportion of mobile phone service income in total telecom service income was enhanced from 35.5% to 45.3%, overtaking that of local phone to become the largest telecom service.

　　 At present, mobile communications network has covered all urban and rural areas in China. Number of countries and regions in the world having made automatic roaming arrangement with China is on the rise constantly. China Mobile's automatic roaming service has covered 76 countries and regions, 13 more than that of the previous year. China UNICOM's automatic roaming service has reached 53 countries and regions, showing an increase of 24.

 

Important progress made in developing TD SCDMA

　　It was learned recently from the Datang Group that thanks to the joint effort on the part of technical personnel of the Datang Group and the Siemens Company, important progress has been made since the fourth quarter of 2001 when the internal field experimental network supported by three sets of TD SCDMA base stations was put into operation. Voice communications and data transmission made along Beijing's expressway removed doubts in people's mind about speed of terminal movement and coverage radius of base station of TDD mode. As a result of the experimentation, the Datang Group and the Siemens Company plan to organize a large-scale TD SCDMA field demonstration in the near future. According to technical personnel who participated in the field experimentation, with progress of the experimentation, speed of terminal movement allowed by the system can be raised further.

　　Calculation based on simulation result showed that speed of movement of TD SCDMA terminal may exceed 240 kilometers per hour.

　　 While progress was made on system technology, substantive breakthrough has also been made in developing TD SCDMA terminal. Development of prototype of TD SCDMA/GSM dual-mode terminal has been completed and production of more than 300 sets of experimental terminals is under way. The experimental terminals will be used in operators' field experimentation.

 

BOSS expected to become new focal point in development of China's telecom operation industry

　　When the BOSS (business operation support system) was adopted by the China Mobile recently, other domestic operators like the China Telecom and China UNICOM have shown great interest in it. Arrival of new operation era has had an impact on the entire telecom operation structure. In order to establish a new and highly efficient operation service system, it is imperative to build BSS/OSS.

　　 The most important attribute of new-generation BSS/OSS is high system integration. Different and separate system services must be converged and linked up to form an integral whole so that internal and external service flows can pass through smoothly under unified coordination to improve in an all-round manner management level, operation efficiency and service capability of enterprise.

　　 Technical specifications of the BOSS system now being installed by the China Mobile pointed out that planning and construction of new BOSS system must follow the principle of "integration, two-leveled center and three-layered structure". "Integration" refers to overall planning and consideration of data resources concerned with handling of billing, account settlement, book keeping, customer service and service management. They must be put under concentrated management as an integral whole in the form of data center. As a result, China Mobile's BOSS system will become a concentrated, comprehensive and modular support system offering sharing of information resources. "Two-leveled center" refers to the fact that BOSS system must be governed by a leveled system of group company data center and province-level data center. "Three-layered structure" refers to the fact that the two levels of data centers of BOSS system should each have three layers of structure logically: data core layer, service logic layer and access layer.

　　 New-generation BSS/OSS system must be designed and structured on the basis of the business concept of taking customers as the center. Its advantages can be found mainly in automatic service flow, scalable open system structure and modular design that enable development of new services and effective monitoring and management of system. A perfect management system can thus be established to exercise management and monitoring of network system, computer system, application system, database system and transmission system.

 

Bluetooth technology and wireless LAN technology may co-exist in next 10 years

　　Ratio of the amount of equipment using bluetooth technology and wireless LAN technology may reach 10:1 by the year 2006. Calculated on this basis, the amount of mobile phones, notebook computers and PDA equipped with bluetooth technology will then reach 235 million sets while number of such equipment with wireless LAN functionality will reach only 22 million sets. In Europe, the amount of mobile phones used by people are 100 times more than notebook computers.

 

Data service of China Telecom witnesses fast growth

　　A national seminar on data communications convened by the China Telecom Group Company revealed that in 2001, the China Telecom recruited 17.61 million users of data communications service, boosting total number of such users to 33.22 million. Income generated by data service increased by 31.6% over the previous year. At present, the China Telecom has taken up more than 80% of the data communications market, making it a network service operator in the world with important influence.

　　 The China Telecom has completed third expansion of CHINANET. As a result, the entire CHINANET ranging from backbone network, municipal area network to access network has been put on the basis of broadband and bandwidth of its international gateway has reached 6G. Furthermore, overseas nodes have been added and Internet service flow between CHINANET and top international operators has been established. At the same time, inter-connection on an equal footing has been set up between CHINANET and more than 10 large network providers, access providers and information providers in North America and Europe. CHINANET is expected to be built up as an Internet center in Asia-Pacific region. In 2001, the China Telecom completed second expansion of its ATM backbone network extending network coverage to 57 cities. As a result, major developed prefecture-level cities across the country have basically been covered by the network and total bandwidth of the network has exceeded 240 G.
Irrespective of the fact that data communications service of the China Telecom has obtained substantial growth, problems concerned with system are still restricting the development of data service. Management mode and operation mode still need to be innovated.

 

First out-door demonstration of TD-SCDMA mobile communications in the world held in Beijing

　　Out-door mobile communications demonstration of TD-SCDMA of which China holds independent intellectual property right was held recently in Beijing. As one of the international standards on 3G mobile communications, TD-SCDMA is marked by its capability of synchronous transmission of voice and pictures. The demonstration showed that such a communications technology can be put into production and application on a large scale.

　　 During the demonstration, one party at the demonstration site used TD-SCDMA out-door mobile communications system to engage in synchronous picture and voice exchange with a testing vehicle located 11.6 kilometers away. The testing vehicle was then traveling at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour at the foot of Flagrant Hill. Lens of a simulated terminal in the vehicle, or prototype of the future 3G handset, was pointed to outside scene to allow communications party at the demonstration site to view clearly movement of the testing vehicle.

　　 The demonstration showed good quality of pictures and voice transmitted by TD-SCDMA handset. This removed doubt people used to have about quality of pictures and voice transmitted by this type of handset when in movement. Furthermore, people's doubt about coverage scope of the system was also removed. The demonstration proved that TD-SCDMA 3G mobile communications technology was qualified for large-scale production and application.

 

Satellite put to large-scale commercial use on fixed wireless access system in China for the first time

　　The Beijing Ruilan United Communications Equipment Company (formerly a Canadian company) signed recently a contract with the China Satellite Communications Group on construction of the 3.5GHz land fixed wireless access system in Nanjing. This is the first occasion that W-OFDM-based fixed wireless access system is put to large-scale commercial use in China. Under the terms of the contract, the Ruilan Company will supply BWS3500 broadband wireless access equipment based on W-OFDM technological platform. The equipment will be used on China Satellite Communications Group's broadband wireless MAN in Nanjing for the purpose of setting up an IP-based integrated service access platform for voice, data and picture services.
Ruilan's BWS3500 broadband wireless access system is capable of solving effectively the fundamental problem of selective frequency attenuation caused by multi-path interference. Therefore, it is capable of providing generalized access (non line-of-sight or quasi line-of-sight transmission). Long-term aim of the solution is to provide low G band, large-capacity access system with good economic performance on W-OFDM patented technological platform and to develop extremely high-speed access capacity. On this basis, fixed-line and mobile integrated broadband municipal area network will be made possible. Bandwidth effect provided by W-OFDM technology is far better than that of spread-spectrum CDMA. Therefore, W-OFDM is a basic technology for next-generation high-speed wireless data network. At present, it has become a basic technology of international standards such as IEEE802. 11a wireless LAN and ETSIBranHiperlan2. Furthermore, it will take up an important position in the soon-to-be-adopted IEEE802.16a,IEEE802. 16b, or draft standards for 2GHz-11GHz broadband wireless MAN.

 

China UNICOM to build largest IP video conference network in the world

　　The China UNICOM revealed recently that it will build the largest IP video conference network in the world. The network will cover more than 300 cities on Chinese mainland as well as Hong Kong region. With the cooperation of overseas operators, service of the network will be extended to other countries in the future. UNICOM has selected Polycom of the United States as main equipment supplier of the network. The Xingtang Company, a subsidiary of the Datang Group, will provide system integration and operation support as well as related software. The China UNICOM will invest $3.35 million for procurement of Polycom's video equipment.

　　 It is reported that the commercial-use video conference network to be built by UNICOM will use IP-based H.323 networking technology. User-self-sustained video conference service will be made available to institutional users by setting up rich operation support system as well as carrier network and access network with guarantee for service quality. Such a network is expected to be put into operation in the second quarter of 2002. Based on IP technology, the network will cover seven major and 23 secondary hubs to accommodate 100,000 users after expansion. The video system to be made available shortly by UNICOM is based on UNICOM's unified data network platform. It represents another new service following VoIP, Internet service and FR service made available by UNICOM. Its purpose is to provide users with economical and useful video conference service that is easy to access and easy to use as well as desk-top video telephone service and such multimedia application as distance education and remote medical consultation.

 

China Mobile's GPRS network to be operational shortly

　　According to a related source of the China Mobile Communications Group Company, the GPRS network of China Mobile will be put into operation in May 2002.

　　 GPRS (general packet radio service) is the 2.5-generation technology in-between GSM and WCDMA. The China Mobile started to invite tender worldwide on first-phase construction of the GPRS network in September 2000. Four companies including Huawei, Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia won the bidding. They will supply basic equipment and service for the GPRS system.

　　 The China UNICOM, another major mobile communications company in China, selected CDMA as its 2.5G mobile communications standard. UNICOM's CDMA network was put into operation in January 2002 and 600,000 users were recruited as of early February the same year. After China Mobile's GPRS network is put into operation, the China Mobile and China UNICOM will vie for users on 2.5G mobile communications technology.

 

British Telecom involves in China's IDC service

　　The Century Internet Data Center Company, a domestic renowned service integrator, and BT Ignite company, one of the three most powerful telecom operators in the world, signed recently in Beijing a framework cooperation agreement. It is learned that the agreement is the first one on telecom service signed by China after its entry into WTO.

　　 The Century Internet Data Center Company will provide IDC-based complete telecom-class IT service to BT's international customers in China. At the same time, the Century Internet will use BT's technology and solution to further improve its service functions. Cooperation between the Century Internet and BT will aim at providing the best information system trusteeship and management service solution to institutions of international trans-national companies in China, domestic trans-national companies and large enterprises.