Wi-LAN Inc, a global innovator of high-speed wireless data/Internet communications, today announced its joint venture, Wi-Comm Communications, will supply China Satellite Communications Group (Chinasat), a Chinese telecommunications operator, with Wi-LAN’s 3.5 GHz BWS 3500 System for deployment in the city of Nanjing.
Chinasat is the first customer for a recently announced $9 million (US$5.9 million) purchase order of Wi-LAN’s W-OFDM based BWS 3500 system in the 2002 calendar year from Wi-Comm Communications (Wi-Comm).
“This order of W-OFDM product is a very exciting development for Wi-LAN since Chinasat is a major Chinese operator,” said Hatim Zaghloul, President, Chairman and CEO, Wi-LAN Inc. “Chinasat’s Nanjing network will highlight the commercial deployment of our W-OFDM products in China.”
Chinasat was established in 1985 as one of six China telecommunications operators and is an operator of satellite-based rural telephone systems, multi-media communications systems, and broadband wireless data access systems.
The Nanjing broadband wireless access network marks the initiation of Chinasat’s “integrated sky (satellite) and land (fixed wireless)” communication strategy. This network will highlight Wi-LAN’s W-OFDM technology to the rapidly growing telecommunications industry in China.
“Our selection of Wi-LAN’s wireless broadband access system is because of their W-OFDM technology,” said Mr. Tong Shirong, Director of Chinasat’s Network Department. “W-OFDM provides both near line of sight capability and higher data throughput.”
“Having Wi-LAN’s products, expertise and patented technologies at our disposal gives us a significant advantage toward growing our successful business in China,” said Lok Chow, President of Wi-Comm. “Wi-LAN’s BWS 3500 system enables Wi-Comm to offer service providers the best price-to-performance wireless access solutions.”
The City of Nanjing, with a population of 5.2 million, is one of five cities (total population of 50 million) in which the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), the super-agency overseeing telecommunications, multimedia, broadcasting, satellites, and the Internet, has issued licenses for 3.5 GHz spectrum for city-wide deployments. In 2002, the MII expects to award 3.5 GHz spectrum to an additional 32 cities.
