UTStarcom, Inc., a key player in IP access, infrastructure and next generation switching, today announced a new contract with China Netcom Corporation (CNC) valued at approximately $75 million to expand deployments of its IP-based PAS (Personal Access System) (iPAS) in China's Hebei Province.
China Netcom is using UTStarcom's next generation IP switching infrastructure (mSwitch) to expand its iPAS capacity in 11 cities and is also extending the network to another 30 counties within the province.
Since its introduction to the province in 1999, CNC Hebei's iPAS service has already been expanded three times to meet the tremendous subscriber demand. Following this expansion, iPAS networks will cover more than 90% of the province. According to CNC Hebei, PAS has become the key revenue driver in the province and will continue be a focus throughout 2004. PAS subscribers currently represent more than 60% of new fixed-line subscribers in the province.
UTStarcom's PAS wireless network solutions are designed to 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.