Security/card solutions provider Gemalto has been fully qualified by China’s three mobile operators for solutions supporting the different 3G technologies, including WCDMA deployed by China Telecom. The company has started supplying its UICC (Universal Identity Cryptographic Computer) and R-UIM (Removable User Identity Module) cards to the three mobile operators in China, ahead of the highly-anticipated 3G commercial launches this year.

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today announced that it has started supplying its UICC (Universal Identity Cryptographic Computer) and R-UIM (Removable User Identity Module) cards to the three major mobile operators in China, in preparation for the highly-anticipated 3G commercial launches this year. With deliveries made through its joint ventures in China, Gemalto is the first provider to be fully qualified to support the different 3G wireless standards; CDMA EVDO, TD-SCDMA and WCDMA.

3G brings about an increase in the performance and usability of data-driven applications. The benefits of portable secure personal devices such as the UICC and R-UIM can be more fully utilized in this way. Whilst the secure user identification embedded applications provide the secure, reliable connectivity to the network, value-added applications loaded on the cards extend the operator’s ability to reach their target subscribers. Value-added applications such as multimedia content distribution, mobile TV access or mobile payment for instance, will benefit from the faster bandwidth and lower latency both increasing the responsiveness and the breadth of applications being offered, thereby improving ease of use.

"We are extremely honored to play a part in China’s telecommunication history by supplying our most advanced technology to China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom through our partners" said Tan Teck Lee, President, Gemalto Asia. "With the current pace of technological advancement subscribers have increasingly higher expectations of their mobile lifestyle experience. The UICC and R-UIM are the perfect platforms for us to support deployment of the wide-spectrum of 3G value-added services that operators will offer to their subscribers".

Earlier in January, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued 3G licenses to China Mobile (TD-SCDMA), China Telecom (WCDMA) and China Unicom (CDMA EVDO), which marked the beginning of China’s entrance into the 3G era. Operators have subsequently launched trial 3G services in various cities in preparation for the official launch nationwide.