Marconi, a global provider of advanced communications solutions, has expanded its penetration of the Chinese communications market, with a wave of new contracts to supply leading-edge solutions to provincial telecom operators, regional utility companies, and a cable television enterprise which is moving into Internet technology.

Marconi solutions are now playing an increasingly important role in China's plans to double the number of fixed telephone lines serving its 1.2 billion people: from just over 100 million in 1999, to more than 200 million by 2004.

The country's 20 million line-per-year fixed network growth is more than the rest of Asia put together: and last year there were 25 million new mobile users in China.

The new contracts won by Marconi include four from provincial operators owned by China Unicom -- the country's second largest telecom company. They are in Shanghai, Guangdong, Anhui, and Fujian, who between them have purchased Marconi solutions worth US$35 million.

A fifth provincial operator, Ningxia Telecom, part of China Telecom, has also bought Marconi SDH to develop its network.

Two of China's major regional utility companies, North China and North East China Electric & Power, have chosen Marconi SDH to build an inter-company connection carrying voice and data at high speed over optical fiber.

And in southern China, regional cable television company, Jiangmen CATV, has purchased a Marconi switching solution which will create a new high-speed Internet protocol (IP) network serving banks, power utilities, businesses, and official organizations including customs. The network will use IP over asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology, combining the flexibility and access of Internet with the very high speeds attainable from ATM.

Yudan Jin, Marconi Communications' president of Asia Pacific, said, "Our latest wins are clear evidence that operators throughout China see Marconi as a major solutions-provider in a broad range of network applications, as the country continues its program of modernizing and expanding its communications infrastructure.

"They also demonstrate the success of our strategy to develop our position in China with multiple routes to market, including joint manufacturing ventures with key local players and a strong marketing and customer service presence in-country."

Last year Marconi set up the Guilin Marconi Technology (GMT) joint venture in partnership with the Guilin Optical Communications Engineering Factory, which is part of the Chinese Ministry of Information Industries (MII) -- the government department responsible for national communications policy. Its customer base includes the Ministry of Power, as well as China Unicom.

In 1996, it formed the Shanghai Marconi joint venture in partnership with the Shanghai Railway Communications Equipment Factory -- another state-owned manufacturer of telecom equipment. Its customer base includes China's rail companies.

In addition to its joint ventures, Marconi has well-established customer-facing operations in Beijing and Hong Kong, supported by regional offices.