ZTE, the world's fifth-largest supplier of telecommunications equipment, plans to step up its release of 4G smartphones and other devices this year to meet surging demand from operators of a new generation of high-speed mobile networks worldwide.
He Shiyou, a ZTE executive vice-president and the head of its terminals division, yesterday said the company was pushing forward with 'strategic 4G terminal roll-out in several markets'.
One of those key markets is Japan, where Shenzhen-based ZTE has committed to deliver a new router to 4G network operator SoftBank Mobile in August. The company, Japan's third-biggest mobile carrier, switched on its 4G network based on the technology called long term evolution (LTE) in February.
The ZTE-developed SoftBank 102Z router, which resembles a slim mobile phone, can provide internet download speeds of up to 76 megabits per second on SoftBank's network. It can simultaneously support 10 connected mobile devices.
'SoftBank is very selective when choosing collaborators,' said Wang Qi, the terminal division manager at ZTE Japan. 'ZTE's partnership with SoftBank on this router is indicative of our dedication to quality products and the worldwide development of 4G.'
ZTE's terminals business includes basic voice-and-text-capable 2G handsets, internet-ready 3G and 4G smartphones, media tablets, laptop computer-attached data cards and home network routers.