China-based telecommunications equipment provider Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. plans to enter the Indonesia's Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) market beginning in the fourth quarter of this year.

"Based on our roadmap, starting in December, we will release GSM-3G handsets on the market," PT Huawei Tech Investment Senior Account Manager Bimbo Abimanyu was quoted Monday by The Jakarta Post as saying

WCDMA is a form of 3G, a third generation advanced technology which enables cellular subscribers to enjoy several services such as video streaming and video conferencing via cellular phones, in addition to much faster data transfer.

As a start, the company introduced its latest range of 3G mobile phones in Indonesia at the 2005 CDMA Exhibition in Jakarta, which ended on Sunday.

Huawei's Oliver Mu said his company was still trying to get more information through various surveys and research about the Indonesian market.

The spread of 3G networks will stimulate the growth of 3G subscribers and demand for its terminals which provides by firms such as Huawei, which produces wireless terminal products.

"To expand the market, we will have to find ourselves more strategic business partners," he said, adding that the company is cooperating with domestic telecommunications operators such as Bakrie Telecom, Indosat and Telkom.

CDMA technology, that allows the development of fixed-wireless phone services, was first introduced in the country about two years ago. However, it is quickly gaining in popularity as it offers rates almost equivalent to the rates of fixed-line services and is much cheaper than GSM rates.

In fact, the fast-growing CDMA market has moved GSM operators to cut their rates and come up with their own attractive packages.

(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2005)