China Fiber Optics Market - A Hot Topic at China Telecom 2000 Conference in Washington DC on June 2-3, 1999.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 1999--

The fiber optics market in China has been on an upward growth path for over a decade. By the end of 1998, China had installed over one million route km of fiber optic cable and more than 15 million fiber km of optical fiber. Over 174,000 km of the installed fiberoptic cables are national and inter-provincial backbones. Over the next several years, the annual demand for optical fiber is projected to be over 5 million km, of which most will be imported. This offers tremendous opportunities for foreign companies.

The fiber optics market in China will be a hot topic at the upcoming China Telecom 2000 conference. The conference is organized by Information Gatekeepers and sponsored by Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks. It will be held at the Swissotel the Watergate in Washington DC from June 2-3, 1999. The aim of the conference is to provide an opportunity for foreign telecommunications companies to learn about the fastest-growing dynamic Chinese telecom markets and to explore business opportunities.

"In 1998, the total market for fiber optic communication systems and equipment in China exceeded US$1 billion and it will grow to over US$2 billion by the year 2010," said Prof. Zhu Qiliang, Director General of Telecom R&D Center, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, who will speak on China's optical networking technology deployment. He will provide an overview of the current development and market trends of the fiberoptic/optical networking industry in China.

Another speaker on the topic is Mr. Yan Changkun, Deputy Manager of Yangtze (Changfei) Optical Fiber and Cable Co. Ltd. (YOFC). YOFC, located in Wuhan, is one of the largest optical fiber and cable manufacturers in China. His presentation - "China Optical Fiber and Cable Market", will analyze the current market demand for optical fiber and cable, major manufacturers in China and future development.

"China has completed the construction of 8-vertical and 8-horizontal national fiber optic backbone network, two years ahead of schedule," said Dr. Hui Pan, Director of Asia Pacific at Information Gatekeepers. Dr. Pan will speak on the SDH and DWDM markets in China at the conference. "Some of the most advanced fiber optic technologies in the world such as SDH and DWDM have been deployed in the telecom backbones. These technologies are being deployed in the private communication networks, CATV networks, and the metro and access networks. Thanks to the large investment in network infrastructure, fiber is moving deeper into the network," Pan said.

The conference will cover a wide array of topics related to the telecom market in China. Key areas of discussion at the conference include the Internet, fiber optics and optical networking, switching, telecom services and the WTO, telecom investment financing models, new telecom policies, IP phone and fax regulations, wireless, mobile satellite, VSAT, and access technologies.

Other speakers include telecom officials and executives from the following organizations: the Ministry of Information Industry, Shanghai PTA, Great Dragon Telecom, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, Qualcomm, the Chinese Embassy, Coudert Brothers, BellSouth, Andersen Consulting, Globalstar, INTELSAT, Paul Weiss, the World Bank, U.S. Commerce Department, Telecommunications Industry Association, NeTrue Communications, Cwill Telecommunications, and others.

Information Gatekeepers Inc. specializes in telecom publishing, consulting, and conference management. Known worldwide as a complete telecom information resource, IGI publishes over 40 newsletters, numerous market studies, and conducts proprietary research on telecom in the U.S. and emerging markets.