UTStarcom Secures Deal With Best Tone Hunan Branch for New Video Advertising Network
October 14 2008 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
RollingStream Platform Serves as First Video Information
Distribution Network in China's Hunan Province ALAMEDA, Calif.,
Oct. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UTStarcom, Inc. (NASDAQ:UTSI)
today announced it has signed an agreement with Best Tone
Information Service Corporation Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of
China Telecom Corporation Ltd. (NYSE: CHA; HKG: 0728), with the
intent to deploy a video information distribution network in the
Hunan province of China. This is the second large-scale interactive
advertising system that UTStarcom's end-to-end RollingStream(R)
Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) platform will power in China, both of
which are expected to change the way subscribers view
advertisements. UTStarcom previously announced the launch of the
first interactive advertising network with Guangxi Telecom Company
Limited, also a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Telecom
Corporation Limited, in July 2008. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051013/SFTH063LOGO) Best Tone
is working with UTStarcom to build and operate a Chinese-specific,
building-based video information network and distribution system,
with 3,500 iPAD1000 terminals scheduled to go live in office
buildings, government facilities, supermarkets, hotels, hospitals
and schools in the Hunan Province this year. The iPAD1000
technology integrates UTStarcom's RollingStream IPTV set-top boxes,
an ADSL modem, Wi-Fi adapter, IPTV network connection and video
monitor into a single terminal station. The network, intended to
generate new revenue opportunities by streaming commercial
advertisements throughout Hunan Province, is expected to support a
total of 10,000 terminals in the region upon completion of the
project. "UTStarcom's RollingStream IPTV solution provides the
foundation that Best Tone needs to most effectively leverage our
expansive broadband network to create valuable new marketing
channels for our customers' products and services," said Zhenbo
Zhang, vice general manager of Hunan Branch, China Telecom
Corporation Ltd. "As a long-time partner of China Telecom's Hunan
Branch, UTStarcom has consistently proven that it understands and
is in line with our long-term goals to transform into a true
information and communications service provider." Best Tone's
one-stop information network provides users with access to services
such as Best Tone's free 114 Internet search portal for the Web,
blogs, forums and news; 114 Directory Assistance; yellow pages;
integrated media services and interactive advertising . It strives
to provide business information to government and corporate users
and information about daily life to individual consumers.
"UTStarcom's long-term IPTV presence in China provides unique
expertise in developing and delivering interactive services," said
Robert Wu, CEO of UTStarcom China. "Increasingly, companies are
seeking out new ways to reach consumers beyond traditional
advertising methods. UTStarcom's RollingStream solution is
assisting service providers in addressing this need and further
monetizing their existing networks." UTStarcom's RollingStream(R)
end-to-end IPTV system currently supports more than 956,000 live
IPTV subscribers globally and maintains a current total system
capacity of more than 2.5 million subscribers as a result of recent
successful deployments in China with China Netcom and China
Telecom, in India with Bharti Airtel, BSNL/Aksh, MTNL/Aksh and
United Telecoms Limited, in Sri Lanka with SLT, in Japan with
Softbank, in Latin America with Brasil Telecom and in Taiwan with
Markwell. About Best Tone Information Service Corporation Ltd. Best
Tone Information Service Corporation Limited of China Telecom Group
is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Telecom Corporation Limited.
Registered in Shanghai in August 2007, the company offers one-stop
service network covering the whole country, providing users with
information service including Best Tone, yellow pages, audio guide
and comprehensive media. It strives to provide business information
to the government and corporate users and daily life information to
the personal users. Focusing on the strategy of China Telecom Group
-- "transferring from a traditional telecom carrier to an
information and communications service provider", the company will
hold on the core value of "Comprehensive Innovation, Pragmatic
Execution, People-oriented Approach, Value-added Cooperation", be
customer-oriented and develop diversified information services,
striving to be a provider of authoritative information release
solution, advanced business information search engine, and
professional consumer information service. About UTStarcom, Inc.
UTStarcom is a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking
solutions and international service and support. The company sells
its solutions to operators in both emerging and established
telecommunications markets around the world. UTStarcom enables its
customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services
using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration
path to cost-efficient, end-to-end IP networks. Founded in 1991 and
headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and
development operations in the United States, Canada, China, Korea
and India. For more information about UTStarcom, visit the
company's Web site at http://www.utstar.com/. Forward Looking
Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, regarding UTStarcom's future strategy, including
statements regarding the anticipated deployment of an interactive
advertising system in China using the Company's RollingStream IPTV
platform. These statements are forward-looking in nature and
subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking
statements include: increased competition; economic issues in the
identified geographic markets; risks associated with delays in
product development, system deployment or customer acceptance;
termination of contracts, partnerships or alliances; anticipated
number of subscribers, traffic and content; and changes in
government regulation and licensing requirements. Please also refer
to UTStarcom's periodic reports that are filed from time to time
with the Securities and Exchange commission, including our latest
Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and
Current Reports on Form 8-K. UTStarcom assumes no obligation to,
and does not currently intend to, update these forward-looking
statements.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051013/SFTH063LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: UTStarcom, Inc. CONTACT:
Darleen DeRosa, Senior Director, Corporate Public Relations of
UTStarcom, Inc., +1-510-769-2830, ; or Sara Zavala, Senior Account
Executive of Edelman, +1-702-644-2465, , for UTStarcom, Inc. Web
site: http://www.utstar.com/
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