Tarek Robbiati, chief executive officer of CSLNWM said Hong Kong was undoubtedly one of the most difficult places to deploy a network. "Skyscrapers and the dense population create a complicated wireless environment make the reconstruction of a converged all-IP second generation/third generation network a challenging task."

Yin Yimin, chief executive officer of ZTE, said, "ZTE set up a special project team comprising more than 300 engineers and technical experts to work with CSL."

First all-IP network

The dual-mode second generation/third generation SDR CSLNWM network will be the first large-scale all-IP network in the world, delivering superior services and user experience, while providing a smooth transition from the existing network to HSPA+. CSLNWM's new network will include a single core network, RAN (radio access network) and network management system and operation systems and software.

Telstra was the world's first operator to roll-out a nationwide third generation High-Speed Downlink Packet Access network. The network was commercially launched in Australia in 2006, covering an area larger than Western Europe, and the entire project was completed in the record time of 10 months. Telstra Australia's next-generation network operates in the 850 MegaHertz range and is expected to reach speeds of 100 megabytes per second over the next few years.