Chinese telecommunications equipment provider ZTE and Japanese PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) operator Willcom have decided to join forces to develop next-generation PHS terminals, according to a February 23 report by SinoCast. Willcom is scheduled to launch next-generation PHS ?known as XGP (eXtended Global Platform) - services in major Japanese cities in October 2009. Willcom and ZTE will jointly develop embedded data cards based on the XGP technology, which boasts a speed of 20Mbps-100Mbps, and the two companies expect the first products to hit the market in 2010. Moreover, Willcom and ZTE plan to enlist the participation of more service operators and equipment makers in popularizing the XGP technology in other countries. As China plans to discontinue the present PHS services in 2011, the two companies expect to promote the next-generation PHS technology in China as well.