China Mobile Communication Corporation has selected Motorola's Global Telecom Solutions Sector (GTSS), a leader in integrated communications solutions, to expand its Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications network and improve data services for users in Beijing and 13 important provinces of China.

The contract, worth about US$510 million, was signed today in Washington, D.C. at a ceremony held during the U.S.–China Seminar on Prospects for Cooperation in Telecom and IT. It was signed by CMCC Chief Deputy Engineer Zhen Caiji, and Adrian Nemcek, executive vice president of Motorola, Inc., and president and chief executive officer of GTSS.

The expansion will prepare CMCC for the coming evolution to 3G by upgrading its GSM/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network and enhancing the transmission of wireless data to users through an improved GPRS offering. It will also allow CMCC to meet Chinese users' fast-rising demand for access to high quality mobile and data services. The expansion, scheduled for completion by the end of 2004, will enable the operator to increase subscriber capacity by up to 10.5 million users. The networks for Beijing and 13 important provinces will be expanded.