China Netcom is deploying Nortel Networks’ Passport 15000 and Passport 7000 — including Passport VPN Extender Cards — for a new national backbone. This backbone will cover more than 110 major cities in China, creating IP VPNs and other data services for government and enterprise customers. The network will also extend existing Frame Relay and ATM services. Activation is expected by March 2003. The contract is estimated to be worth approximately US$15 million.
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- In January, Nortel Networks announced a contract to supply China Netcom with core equipment for its national optical transmission backbone. The contract covers the deployment of two long-haul optical rings. China Netcom will deploy Nortel Networks’ 10Gbps OPTera Long Haul 1600 Optical Line System and OPTera Connect DX optical switch. In addition, China Netcom will deploy OPTera Connect HDX switches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan.
- In November 2002, Alcatel Shanghai Bell was awarded a US$36 million contract by China Netcom to supply a new switching network that will enable the operator to achieve nationwide coverage. China Netcom will use the Alcatel 1000 Signaling Transfer Point and the latest version of its Alcatel 1000 Multimedia switching system to build its new switching backbone network covering 21 provinces in southern China. The network was scheduled to become operational last month, allowing full interoperability between China Netcom and other service providers, a key to the realization of nationwide coverage.
- Last year, China’s State Council split up of China Telecom, China’s largest fixed line operator with about 140 million subscribers, into two regional companies. China Netcom retained the assets in North China’s Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Hebei and Shanxi provinces, Northeast China’s Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, Central China’s Henan Province and East China’s Shandong Province. It also incorporated the facilities of China Jitong Network Communications Co Ltd.