NTT, China Telecom sign deal

NTT, China Telecom sign deal

TOKYO (AFP): Japan's NTT Communications Corp. said Wednesday it would tie up with China Telecommunications Corp. to beef up their global services.

Under a memorandum signed in Beijing, the overseas arm of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. and China Telecom will jointly provide telecommunications services to users mainly in China and Japan.

They plan to develop and provide new services and forge joint business development, NTT Communications said in a statement.

"The telecommunications market in China is currently undergoing explosive growth along with increasing use of fixed- line telephones, cellular phones and the Internet," the statement said.

"Further expansion is also expected in the wake of the opening up of China's market following her entry into the WTO (World Trade Organization)," it said.

The two firms will exchange technology and personnel for the tie-up.

China Telecom is China's largest provider of fixed-line telephone services.

Protracted talks are continuing this week in Geneva to seal Beijing's 14-year campaign to join the WTO.