ZTE Plans to Deploy Colombia’s First Mobile WiMAX Network by the End of 2008

ZTE Plans to Deploy Colombia’s First Mobile WiMAX Network by the End of 2008

     ZTE Corporation announced on August 19, 2008 that it had clinched an exclusive bid from Colombia’s leading operator Emcali to build the country’s first WiMAX 16e network. For the 3.5G WiMAX 16e project, ZTE will provide Emcali core network equipment, wireless access equipment and various outdoor/indoor terminals. Emcali, which was awarded by the Colombian government WiMAX licenses two years ago, has been required to make the network commercially available by the end of this year.

     After a thorough bidding process, Emcali chose ZTE to exclusively provide them the network equipment in developing comprehensive commercial network services and advanced WiMAX technologies in Colombia. Under the project, ZTE will also provide WiMAX base stations to help Emcali offer extensive mobile wireless coverage in the Colombian regions of Cali and Popayan.

     ZTE is one of the biggest champions in the WiMAX industry. It is also the only Chinese company among the 15 Board of Directors in the WiMAX Forum. In early 2006, ZTE achieved significant in-roads in Singapore by developing the mobile WiMAX network in the island state, one of the first commercial trial networks worldwide. Last year, the company clinched a major WiMAX terminal procurement contract with Sprint Nextel, the third largest mobile operator in the United States.

     ZTE is a pioneer in promoting the concept of "carrier-grade WiMAX MAN" globally, and has successfully established 21 commercial trials and trial networks for 802.16e WiMAX worldwide. To date, ZTE has established WiMAX commercial trial centers and experiment labs in more than 20 countries and regions, including the U.S., Africa, Asia and Europe.