UTStarcom, Inc. today announced that it has signed a contract valued at approximately $18.8 million with China Telecom Corporation (CTC) to expand its IP-based PAS (Personal Access System) (iPAS) network in the Gui Zhou province.
The incredible growth of iPAS in Gui Zhou proves that it is an ideal technology for establishing telephony in areas of low teledensity. According to the Ministry of Information (MII), the fixed-line telephony penetration in Gui Zhou was 8.73 percent at the end of 2003, far behind China's average of 21.19 percent. In line with the Chinese government's strategy to develop the western regions of China, PAS has a vast market potential, and will contribute to the social and economical development in these areas.
UTStarcom's wireless network solutions enable a rapid network expansion and an easy migration from fixed to wireless networks, enabling service providers to offer wireless voice and data services within a city or community. Marketed as a low-cost investment option for wireless local telephone service, the PAS system features advanced voice and data services within a flexible network architecture that can be seamlessly integrated with future 3G and broadband technologies. With deployments throughout Mainland China and Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Africa, and Latin America, UTStarcom is the leader in the worldwide PAS market.