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Major deals position ZTE as partner of choice for 5G and Internet of everything


Johannesburg, 30 Jun 2017

ZTE has emerged as a leader in 5G technology and deployment, as evidenced in a number of partnerships with leading telcos and telecommunication vendors. These include pre-5G deployments with China Mobile and SoftBank, while together with operators in Hungary and Belgium, ZTE has set network speed records in Europe. ZTE is also implementing cloud networks in seven Latin American countries alongside Telefonica.

"5G will provide the technology platform for the Internet of everything, and ZTE is pouring money and effort into ensuring it has the technological leadership and intellectual capital needed to partner with those companies that are leading this revolution," says Fu Zhen, Chief Technology Officer, ZTE Corporation South Africa. "The fact that we have been chosen to work with these companies on projects that are defining the Internet of Everything shows that we are succeeding."

Fu explains that the Internet of Everything is the next progression from the Internet of Things. Whereas the Internet of things refers to the linking of physical objects to the global network, the Internet of everything envisages bringing people, processes, data and things onto a common, global platform.

"The Internet of everything will greatly enhance our ability to create new capabilities and explore new markets. It represents a new frontier of opportunity for individuals, businesses and even nations," he says. "It is no surprise that Gartner listed it as one of the top trends as far back as 2015."

Among the first of these deals was a partnership in July 2015 with Softbank, a Japanese telecommunications company, to collaborate on research and development based on ZTE's pre-5G technology, including the use of massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO). MIMO is considered to be critical to commercialising 5G.

In 2016, SoftBank launched Massive MIMO in Japan. "Deploying Massive MIMO in the 2.5 GHz frequency band was a global breakthrough in 5G," says Hideyuki Tsukuda, SVP (senior vice president) of SoftBank.

ZTE was also involved in Europe's first test of Massive MIMO, via a partnership with Hutchison Drei Austria, a mobile operator, to build the first pre5-G trial site on that continent.

"ZTE is a partner we found flexible, very supportive and always looking for a solution," commented Matthias Baldermann, CTO of Hutchison Drei Austria.

Other notable deals include a June 2016 memorandum of understanding with Telefonica to develop 5G technologies, strengthening ZTE's position as one of Telefonica's strategic technology partners. In the following December, ZTE announced a contract to help Telefonica build a large-scale virtual IP multimedia subsystem (vIMS) network in Latin America.

Enrique Blanco, Global CTO of Telefonica, says that ZTE was the natural choice because it not only had proficiency in the multiple technologies required for 5G now, but the capability to keep up with future developments.

August 2016 saw the signing of a major network modernisation deal with Telenet, the largest provider of cable broadband services in Belgium.

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ZTE South Africa

ZTE South Africa is a subsidiary of ZTE, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions. ZTE South Africa is dedicated to making quality communications technology accessible to all. The company draws on more than 25 years of experience and research investment to deliver smart, affordable, quality choices for infrastructure and mobile data device customers nationwide.

For more information, visit www.zte.com.cn.

ZTE

ZTE is a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions with the most comprehensive product range covering virtually every sector of the wireline, wireless, service and terminals markets. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 140 countries, helping them to meet the changing needs of their customers while achieving continued revenue growth. ZTE's 2010 revenue led the industry with a 21% increase to USD10.609 billion. ZTE commits 10% of its revenue to research and development and takes a leading role in a wide range of international bodies developing emerging telecoms standards. A company with sound corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, ZTE is a member of the UN Global Compact. ZTE is China's only listed telecom manufacturer, publicly traded on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges.

Editorial contacts

Deirdre Blain
Blain Communications
(+27) 083 230 5522
blain@iafrica.com
Jessica King
ZTE Corporation South Africa
(+27) 82 356 4239
jessicaking@zte.com.cn