NetPower to Construct Multi-City Hot Spot Network in China
December 23, 2005
Singaporean NetPower International has signed a US$150 billion contract with China's Great Wall Broadband Network Service to deploy wireless network hot spots at 4,000 places in China's six largest cities. NetPower has gained an investment of US$900,000 for this project, of which EDB accounts for one third. Construction, to be initiated in January 2006, will start from the World Trade Center in Wuhan. Following the first-stage cooperation, NetPower is likely to secure another US$100 million contract, under which NetPower will deploy 2,000 to 3,000 more hot spots, allowing users to use wireless broadband service in small cities. In addition to China, NetPower is trying to extend its service to Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and is in talks with Singaporean mobile operator StarHub.