a leading global provider of
telecommunications equipment and network solutions and Hong Kong's No. 1
mobile operator CSL New World Mobility (CSLNWM), a subsidiary of Australia's
Telstra Corporation, today announced that they would work together to build in
Hong-Kong, the world's first SDR (Software Defined Radio) based HSPA+ network
making it the first large-scale all-IP network with such technology.
    Selected after a thorough competitive tender process ZTE will upgrade
CSLNWM's existing infrastructure with a fully integrated 2G/3G all-IP
SDR-based network. Furthermore, ZTE and CSLNWM have successfully completed
testing of the HSPA+ network capability in Hong Kong on 15 February 2009,
delivering HSPA+ (64QAM) services which can provide up to 21Mbps download
speed.
    ZTE's SDR technology provides CSLNWM's network with increased flexibility
by reducing equipment space and power requirements, and at same time enabling
high speed, advanced traffic management and future-proof systems. SDR
solutions enable operators to upgrade to next generation networks, including
HSPA+, MIMO and LTE.
    CSLNWM CEO Tarek Robbiati said Hong Kong was undoubtedly one of the most
difficult places to deploy a network. "Many skyscrapers and the dense
population create a complicated wireless environment. So the reconstruction of
a converged all-IP 2G/3G network is a challenging task.
    "We congratulate ZTE on the system's outstanding performance in QAM64
testing and we believe our work with them will help CSLNWM to stay way ahead
of the competition and deliver its 2.5 million subscribers superior service,"
Mr. Robbiati said.
    ZTE CEO Mr. Yin Yimin said the CSL network reconstruction project was an
arduous and complicated undertaking.
    "ZTE set up a special project team comprised of more than 300 engineers
and technical experts to work with CSL. We are very proud that together we are
enabling the world's first SDR-based HSPA+ network," Mr. Yin said.
    The dual-mode 2G/3G SDR CSLNWM network will be the first large-scale
all-IP network in the world, delivering superior services and user experience,
while providing a smooth transition from the existing network to HSPA+.
CSLNWM's new network will include a single core network, RAN and network
management system and operation systems and software (NMS/OSS).
    CSLNWM is the largest mobile operator in Hong Kong and a subsidiary of
Telstra. Its GSM/UMTS network counts over 2.5 million subscribers.
    Telstra was the world's first operator to roll-out a nationwide 3G HSDPA
network. The network was commercially launched in Australia in 2006, covering
an area larger than Western Europe, and the entire project was completed in
the record time of 10 months. Telstra Australia's Next G network operates in
the 850MHz range and is expected to reach speeds of 100 Mbps over the next few
years.