Telecommunications equipment and network offerings provider ZTE and Wireless City Planning (WCP), a SoftBank company, have signed a strategic partnership to use AXGP technology to build a next-generation mobile network in Japan .

WCP has selected ZTE as its primary strategic partner for AXGP. The planned network is estimated to reach 99% of Japan ordinance-designated city populations after the completion of the deal.

The two companies are planning to create a joint lab to develop emerging technologies, drive development of next generation technologies including AXGP, and grow the global reach of AXGP, said ZTE.

ZTE provides exclusive joint cell processing technology and interference-eliminating technology with its strong base-band processing capability. ZTE achieves this stronger base-band processing capability with the help of its SDR platform.

WCP director and chief operating officer Junichi Miyakawa said WCP has chosen ZTE as its partner to build the world’s largest TDD (Time-Division Duplex) network.

"We hope that ZTE can maintain its leading innovation capability in mobile communications technologies to help us build the best next generation mobile data network in Japan and even the world," said Miyakawa.

ZTE executive vice-president Xie Daxiong said the partnership with WCP is recognition of ZTE’s leading technologies, outstanding customisation and service capabilities, and ZTE delivery capability in TD-LTE.

"By meeting SoftBank’srequirements,we’ll be able to increase our competitiveness among major global operators," said Xie Daxiong.

In addition to WCP deal, ZTE has teamed up with China Mobile, Hutchison Whampoa and KPN to developTDD technologies across the globe to deploy an integrated LTE TDD/FDD commercial network in Sweden.