appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Finnish telecommunications group, Nokia, is extending its pioneering research and development programme to China next month.

  A new facility focusing on future wireless and wireline technologies is scheduled to open in Beijing on January 1.

  'This is an important milestone in Nokia's investment in China,' Sari Baldauf, executive vice-president for Nokia Asia-Pacific, said.

  'It further illustrates our commitment to being a leading telecommunications company in China and underlines our belief that China's telecommunications community will make an important contribution to global development.'   As an integral part of Nokia's global research and development network, the facility would involved in applying the latest technology to products and solutions for the Chinese market, she said.

  Specific areas of research will include technologies and concepts for future mobile communications, technologies for mobile terminals (including wireless data solutions) and advanced fixed-access solutions.

  In addition, the unit will expand co-operation with the Chinese research and development community, providing input to China's global projects.

  The facility is planned to employ about 100 people within two years and will be headed by Markku Ranta, currently responsible for international operations at Nokia's research centre in Beijing.

 Nokia has always placed high importance on pioneering technology and developed the first all-in-one mobile communications tool, Communicator 9000, which was launched last year.

  The company also developed the world's first digital multimedia terminal as well as the world's first GSM dual band base station.

   Nokia has established itself as a leading supplier of telecommunications networks and mobile phones in China, where it has five joint ventures and a network of offices employing almost 2,000 staff.

  Recently, it has signed three major new multi-million dollar contracts.

 Nokia was contracted by Zhejiang Post and Telecommunications Administration for the third phase expansion of its GSM 900 network - a deal worth around US$80 million which will accommodate more than a million new subscribers in Zhejiang province.

  Another contract to expand the Henan Post and Telecommunications Administration (PTA) GSM 900 network was valued at US$20 million.

  'It again confirms Henan's continuing confidence in Nokia's GSM solution,' Folke Ahlback, senior vice-president for Nokia, Greater China, said.

  This third expansion will increase the network capacity to 620,000 subscribers in China's largest province where the monthly growth of GSM subscribers is more than 15,000.

  Yet another US$40 million contract was signed with Jiangxi Post and Telecommunications Administration for the third expansion of its GSM 900 network.

  The network capacity will increase to approximately 370,000 subscribers and Mr Ahlback said: 'Jiangxi PTA only launched its network in 1995 and this third expansion, in only two years since the launch, is a strong indication of Jiangxi's commitment to increasing market demand and confirmation of the capabilities of Nokia's GSM 900 solution.' 



Beijing facility 'important milestone' for telecommunications group