ZTE reinforces European market position by helping Romanian operator to roll-out 3G network and replace existing CDMA infrastructure

29 May 2008, Shenzhen, China - ZTE, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced it has been selected by Zapp, Romania's fourth largest mobile operator, to roll-out a UMTS/HSDPA commercial network. This deal further reinforces ZTE position in Europe. Zapp plans on launching its 3G commercial services in early autumn 2008 and the network should be completed by 2011. 

Zapp, a key European CDMA carrier and the only operator in Romania deploying this type of technology, has also selected ZTE's CDMA2000 technology to replace its current 2G network, due to its stable performance and lower total cost of ownership (TCO). This is ZTE's fourth CDMA project in Europe, and the company has previously built networks in Norway, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. 

"With the rise of mobile broadband and other high-bandwidth services, there is great demand for 3G in Europe. ZTE's GSM and CDMA solutions are a perfect path for carriers looking to upgrade their networks," said Ms Fang Rong, ZTE's senior vice president international sales division. "The partnership with Zapp marks another milestone for ZTE in Europe and demonstrates the company's commitment to helping European carriers roll-out advanced services, while keeping operational costs down."

"Quality and functionality were key criteria when looking to build our 3G network," said Chris Bataillard, CEO of Zapp. "Our aim was to provide subscribers with the most advanced 3G services available. ZTE allows us to launch these advanced services, while achieving higher operational efficiency and lower costs." he added.

The UMTS/ HSDPA equipment provided by ZTE is compatible with Zapp's existing network and will be used to build a network running over the 2.100 Mhz frequency and that will be fully dedicated to data services. This network will enhance the quality and speed of services offered by Zapp by increasing the transfer rate from 2.4 Mbps to up to 7.2 Mbps.

Analyst house IDC has ranked ZTE as the fastest growing telecom vendor in 2007. The company has a strong focus on product development and enhancement, spending over a third of its human capital in R&D. ZTE's equipment has been deployed in over 20 UMTS/HSDPA networks worldwide, including Estonia and Nepal.