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Features
Shanghai
TV Gets IPTV License
SARFT announced May 10 that Shanghai
TV
under the Shanghai Wenguang Media Group (SMG) has been granted an IPTV
operating license to broadcast audio and video programs via Internet
Protocol
(IP) to TV sets and handsets. A Shanghai Wenguang spokesman said that
Wenguang
has received two licenses, one for TV set terminals and one for
handsets. The
third type of license is for computer reception of TV.
According to the
“Management Methods on
Audio and Video Broadcasting over Information Networks Including the
Internet,”
or SARFT Document [2004] No. 39, operators must receive a network audio
and
video broadcasting license before they may send programming over the
Internet. Three
different licenses are available depending on the type of terminal
used.
Wenguang Group is
reportedly in discussions
with China Mobile about providing TV to mobile phones.
Another expected IPTV
operator, China
Central TV (CCTV), is working with China Netcom and China Telecom to
launch
IPTV trial services on 80 channels in eight provinces. CCTV expects to
obtain
the second IPTV operating license in the next few months.
Government—but
not Market—Loves “Homegrown” Processor
Beijing Longxin (BLX) IC Design
Company,
the major manufacturer of Central Processing Units (CPU) for computers,
with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has released the “Godson II”
microprocessor, which
CAS claims is as good as Intel’s Pentium III and surpasses VIA C3. At
the same
time, CAS and Jiangsu Menglan Group signed an agreement for strategic
cooperation to establish the CAS-Menglan Godson Industrialization Base
to commercialize
Godson microprocessor-based products.
BLX IC Design, the creator
of Godson, was
formed in 2002 by four investors, including Jiangsu Zongyi Holdings at
49%, CAS
at 30%, and Beijing Huibo Qingzhou and Beijing Zhihaolian Technology,
with total
registered capital of RMB 100 million.
The precursor of the chip
was the Godson I,
issued in 2002 to wilting market performance. Chinese server
manufacturer the Dawning
Information Industry Group announced it had adopted the Godson I in a
server,
but the server series saw limited production and has been discontinued,
according
to a server engineer in Dawning Group. According to a Dawning sales
agent,
there is limited market demand for the server with Godson I. In 2003,
the Godson
I did not make the final cut for Beijing
government procurement, since the clock speed of 266MHz did not meet
the minimum requirement of 400MHz.
China
CPU Market 2001--2004
|
Market Shares
|
2001
|
2002
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
Intel
|
90%
|
84%
|
83%
|
74%
|
|
AMD
|
5%
|
8%
|
9.5%
|
18%
|
|
Via Tech
|
2%
|
3%
|
3.5%
|
4%
|
|
Chinese processors
|
0
|
0%
|
1%
|
1%
|
|
Others
|
3%
|
5%
|
3%
|
3%
|
Sources: Chinese media, CCID
Efforts to develop a
“completely Chinese”
microprocessor have been heavily promoted and subsidized by the
Ministry of
Science and Technology, Ministry of Information Industry, and
localities as
well as universities and government-affiliated research institutes. The
CAS-Menglan
Godson Industrial Base has been granted RMB 30 million Jiangsu,
Suzhou,
and
Changshu governments. The Jiangsu
government has proposed providing RMB 300 million to the Godson
project, according to a report from Menglan Group’s official website.
Companies started in 2002
to adopt the
low-price Godson I, Fangzhou, and Haixin. In 2002, CAS, Haier, Great
Wall,
Chinasoft, Dawning Group, and Redflag established the Godson Industry
Alliance
to commercialize Godson. More companies involved in the domestic CPU
industry
chain achieve more applications of domestic CPU products. Recently,
Haier Group
launched its tax control machine with Godson II CPU, and Langchao Group
also
launched server with Godson II.
Domestic
Microprocessors
|
General-Purpose Microprocessor
|
Developer
|
Applications
|
Launch
|
|
Godson
|
BLX
IC Design
|
PC
and Sever
|
Sep.,
2002
|
|
Embedded Microprocessor
|
Developer
|
Applications
|
Launch
|
|
Vimicro series (Xingguang)
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Vimicro Corporation
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Digital Photo Processor
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Mar. 2001
|
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Arca (Fangzhou)
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Arca Technology
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Network Computer Processor
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Jul. 2002
|
|
Hisys (Hanxin)
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Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Microelectronics
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Digital Signal Processor
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Feb. 2003
|
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FM series (Shenwei)
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Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics
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Auto control, communication,
Financial electronics products
|
Nov. 2002
|
|
LHWT series (Wantong)
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LHWT Microelectronics Inc.
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PC and Server
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Sep. 2003
|
|
JadeBird microprocessor
|
Beida JadeBird
|
PC and Communications
|
N/A
|
|
Unity 863 SOC
|
Peking University Unity
Microsystems Technology Ltd.
|
Server and electronics products
in government and universities.
|
Dec.200
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Sources: SINA and ENET.com
The Godson II is positioned
as a low-end CPU
alternative for set top boxes, as well as application processors for
handsets. Li
Guojie, chairman of BLX IC Design and director of the Computing
Institute of
CAS disclosed in
Godson II rollout press conference that High-performance
computers and servers, which international IC giants Intel and AMD
specialize
in, are not targets. “Godson I is six years away from those leading CPUs,
while Godson II is four years away, but they can work very well in
low-end
applications,” said Li
Guojie.
Li Guojie claimed that the Godson II
makes
it possible to decrease the price of a personal computer to RMB 1,000
(US$121).
“We’ll enable 800 million Chinese peasants to afford PCs,” he said.
| USITO Briefs |
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CCSA
Working on 3G Frequency Research
The Wireless
Communication Technical
Committee under the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA)
announced
the establishment of the “Frequency Working Group” (WG8) to study ways
to
minimize frequency interference in third-generation mobile
telecommunications. Li
Jinchun, chief engineer of State Radio Supervision Center, is the group leader.
WG8
has identified 15 projects in GSM,
CDMA, PHS, SCDMA, RFID, WiMAX, and UWB.
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