Marconi provides new multimedia network solution for China`s largest province

Marconi has won its first contract in Sichuan, China`s most highly populated province, for equipment and services which will help build a new high-speed multimedia optical network.

The solution has been ordered by Sichuan Telecom, which is creating the biggest ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) backbone system in south west China. It will provide more than 100 million people in the province with direct access to bandwidths up to 2.5 Gbit/s for voice, data and multimedia communications.

Yudan Jin, Marconi Communications` president, Asia Pacific, said: "This is a strategically important win, which we have made in the face of stiff competition from suppliers inside China as well as across the world.

"Sichuan is a vital addition to the provincial and metropolitan markets we have already established and a major milestone in Marconi`s continuing development as the supplier of choice for optical networking solutions throughout China."

The solution consists of Marconi`s ASX4000 and TNX1100 ATM switches, which will perform a key role in handling traffic across the network, technical support and training for staff.

Sichuan`s commitment to Marconi`s optical networking technology is the latest in a series of Chinese successes, which includes supplying equipment for a major upgrade and expansion of the network operated by the Beijing Telecommunications Authority (BTA), part of China Telecom. Last week Marconi also announced it was to supply its high capacity optical technology to ShanDong Zibo Telecom, in ShanDong Province.

In recent months, Marconi has won new contracts for networking equipment, services and solutions from operators in the provinces of Guangdong, Ningxia, Fujian and Gansu.

Marconi`s networking products are already at the core of many of China`s major network developments, including one of the world`s longest optical fibre links, running 3,000 kilometres from Shanghai, through Wuhan to Chongqing.