China Unicom Awards Contracts for IPTV Convergence Trials
Lmtw, 9/09/10
In August, China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) convened a meeting of 11 systems manufacturers to discuss IPTV and other services, and reportedly awarded contracts for the new trials to six of the manufacturers who took part in talks. The six firms will partner on platform construction for the ten trial cities.
The operator's new list of network convergence trial cities adds six new cities (Tianjin; Shijiazhuang, Hebei province; Wuhan, Hubei province; Hangzhou, Zhejiang province; Mianyang, Sichuan province; Changsha, Hunan province) to the original four (Beijing; Harbin, Heilongjiang province; Dalian, Liaoning province; Qingdao, Shandong province), with Changsha a new addition to the list.
System manufacturers have been classified into different categories based on their communications with Unicom. The first category of vendors includes Huawei, ZTE (0763.HK; 000063.SZ), and Shanghai-based IPTV solutions provider Onewave, each of which received contracts for two trial cities, with Huawei getting contracts for Beijing and Harbin, ZTE contracts for Qingdao and Tianjin, and Onewave contracts for Dalian and Hangzhou.
The second category includes Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell (ASB), online video site and IPTV solutions developer LeTV, and Beijing-based communications software maker Channelsoft. Ericsson received the contract for Shijiazhuang; ASB, for Changsha, LeTV, for Wuhan; and Beijing-based telecom software provider Channelsoft for Mianyang.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "China Unicom Adds Five Convergence Trial Cities" MD 9/03/10 issue.
Keywords: television Onewave Channelsoft China Unicom convergence IPTV LeTV 000063.SZ 0763.HK Huawei ZTE Ericsson ASB 0762.HK 600050.SH CHU supply contract