Alcatel, the French telecoms equipment maker, recently announced plans to invest $100 million in China this year for R&D, with a significant amount going to 3G research.

The firm said it would invest another $45 million in 3G infrastructure and application development in China. Alcatel, which has been positioning itself to reap the rewards of the contracts that are expected to be awarded as China builds its 3G networks, made its announcement following NTT DoCoMo Inc's statement that it would set up a research centre in Beijing for the development of advanced wireless technology.