1st homegrown mobile phone chipset developed
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-24 14:51

The new 3G (third-generation) standard mobile phone chipset was developed by the Shanghai branch of the Spreadtrum Communications Inc, a leading provider of wireless integrated circuits software solutions.

The development will fundamentally decrease Chinese companies' dependence on foreign intellectual property and significantly lower the amount of intellectual property fees paid to foreign communications firms.

"This means Chinese companies are quite likely to compete in an active way in the future instead of the passive one in the past," said the official.

To date, China boasts a total of more than 300 million cell phone users, the largest in the world.

In the market, a single chipset is sold US$25 to 50, making up 50 to 70 percent of the cost of the phones. Chinese cell phone makers pay more than US$10 billion to import chipsets.

China's cellphone maker giants like Amoi, Bird, Lenovo and Hisense have already signed agreements with some Chinese chip makers, a step that they will use the so-called "China chip" to produce mobile phones that are truly "made in China."

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