S. Korean Press: Aiming at China's Next-gen. phones
( 2003-07-14 16:47) (Korea IT News)
The mobile phone industry is
stepping up cooperation with its Chinese partners to develop next-gen. mobile
phones in time with President Roh's state visit to China. According to the
related industry on July 13, with leaders of Korea and China agreeing on a
ten-pointed business project for next-gen. IT, mobile phone companies are
expected to strengthen cooperation with Chinese companies for developing 3G
mobile phones.
In particular, the industry pins great hope on the President's visit to China
for brightening export prospect to China which has been deteriorated as China
was independently pursuing standard for 3G mobile telecommunications.
Large companies with sufficient liquidity are expected to carry out
investment and cooperation for time division - code division multiple access (TD
- CDMA), which Beijing is independently pursuing as a standard for 3G mobile
telecommunications. Samsung Electronics set up a joint venture (company name:
T3G Technology) for TD - CDMA mobile phone chip sets with China's DaTang Mobile
Communications and Phillips on January. Samsung is expected to invest tens of
millions dollars to develop commercial phones early next year and put them on
the local market.
An official with Samsung Electronics said, "As Korea is sweeping China's CDMA
mobile phone market, Beijing has been trying to keep Korean companies in check.
Given the situation, Korea was on the verge of losing its leverage in the
next-gen. mobile phone area." "The establishment of full-fledged cooperative
partnership with China as a result of President Roh's visit improved the
environment for investment and cooperation," he added.
LG Electronics, which is participating DaTang Communications-led separate
standardization group along with Nokia and Texas Instruments (TI), is boosting
investment in China's next-gen. mobile phones. LG plans to seek cementing
cooperation with China's manufacturers as well as service providers through
China's global R&D centers to take part in next-gen. telecommunications
standardization works such as 3G, 4G and TD - SCDMA. An official with LG
Electronics said, "Under active support from local universities including
Chingwha Univ., we are concentrating on securing top-notch manpower for the
mobile phone and IT fields," adding that the company will release 3G mobile
phones beginning next year.
Pantech subsidiaries set up production entity in joint investment with
China's Daxian Group, and is moving to build massive R&D center there. The
latest move is meant to grow into the biggest major mobile phone maker in China
by enhancing cooperation with the Chinese group and hiring specialists at the
local level. Managing director Noh Sun-seok of Pantech said, "We will be
producing 10 million units of mobile phones on a yearly basis through the
cooperation enhancement with Daxian and a joint venture in 2008." "During
President Roh's visit, Beijing promised cooperation for CDMA technology
standardization providing Korean mobile phone industries with greater
influence," he added.
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