ZTE And CPS Take To Streets Of Beijing For Matrix High Accuracy GSM Location Testing

(CTIA Wireless 2004, Atlanta; 22 March 2004) ZTE Corporation and Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd (CPS) will this week begin network testing of new high accuracy location handsets for the rapidly expanding 260 million strong Chinese GSM market.

The move follows the recent announcement from both companies to jointly develop and market handsets enabled with CPS’ new Matrix “user plane” solution that delivers sub-100m accuracy, rapid time-to-fix and high performance in all environments. The testing - taking place in Beijing – will involve users taking Matrix-enabled handsets into a range of urban, suburban and rural areas to ensure performance is consistent. It follows a successful integration of the Matrix solution into ZTE GSM handsets via CPS’ facility in Cambridge, in the UK, which has recently been upgraded to handle new Matrix “user plane” testing. It is anticipated that the field trials will be followed by commercial applications based testing during the summer.

CPS CEO Chris Wade commented: “This underlines the rapid deployment capabilities of our Matrix solution and the shared commitment between ZTE and ourselves to make mass market high accuracy a reality in the world’s fastest-growing GSM market.”

“ZTE’s strong R&D ability on handset has been proven again by the rapid progress of the Matrix integration project. ZTE has the desire and the ability to co-operate tightly with our partner to provide our customers with characteristic mobile applications,” Said Tu Biqin, Vice General Manager of Handset Division, ZTE Corporation.

At last month’s 3GSM Congress in Cannes, ZTE and CPS announced a world first joint development programme to integrate Matrix into a range of ZTE terminals and handset products for both 2G and 3G.

Initially, the programme is focussed on CPS’ new Matrix “user plane” solution. Matrix is a unique software-only solution that combines sub-100m accuracy with rapid location time-to-fix and consistent performance across outdoor and indoor environments – for less than $1 per subscriber. Until now, location-positioning information has been delivered over GSM using the “control plane” – the internal GSM signalling. Utilising the “user plane” - via IP over GPRS or SMS - operators can deploy the Matrix solution across networks from different equipment vendors in a transparent and seamless way. In turn, this leads to significant operational cost benefits. ends


Further information:
CPS
John Craig, Vice President Product Development
+44 (0)7789 507012

Colin Ashcroft, Communications Director
+ 44 (0) 7769 740296

About CPS:
CPS is the high accuracy location enabler for the wireless world. Through consistent innovation, we have developed new ways of helping people pinpoint their whereabouts - via a standard GSM mobile handset. Our technology is called Matrix – a unique software-only solution that combines sub-100m accuracy with rapid time-to-fix and consistent performance across all environments.

Standardised for GSM, Matrix can be rolled out easily and rapidly to meet operator needs for new and differentiated location-enabled services. And because Matrix is software only, it means deployment costs are less than $1 per subscriber – the most competitive high accuracy solution available.

ZTE:
ZTE specialises in offering end-to-end customised network solutions for telecom carriers worldwide, with equipment deployed in over 40 countries. The company develops and manufactures telecommunications equipment for fixed, mobile, data and optical networks, intelligent and next generation networks and mobile handsets.