China Telecom Corporation (CTC) awarded a contract to UTStarcom to supply 220,000 lines of its AN-2000 IB IP-DSLAM. This contract follows a recent contract with CTC for a deployment of 200,000 lines in select provinces throughout China. Financial terms were not disclosed.
UTStarcom said the deployment of these IP-DSLAM lines highlights a shift for China from ATM-based to IP-based DSLAM networks and a movement from narrowband to broadband. According to figures cited by the company, the number of IP-DSLAM lines as a percentage of total DSLAM lines deployed in 2003 was approximately 15%, a significant increase from 2002. UTStarcom expects this percentage to increase to nearly 50% in 2004. http://www.utstart.com
