Chinese telecom equipment provider Huawei Technologies announced on February 12, 2007 that it has completed the VoIP network migration of local exchanges in Shannxi Province for China Mobile. The move will enable the operator to optimize its network structure and reportedly lower its operations and maintenance costs. This will be China Mobile's first ever large-scale all-IP transformation.

Huawei agreed to provide China Mobile with its distributed-structure ALL-IP softswitch system, which will enable China Mobile to adopt IP for carrying voice and signaling messages. The system also features a self-protection mechanism for IP networks, which switches the network between two IP bearer planes in case of unlikely events without call dropping or loss.

"We have already conducted system verification tests, checked the interoperability of the network elements, as well as the service quality and service provisioning capability of the softswitch equipment, which will allow China Mobile to implement its All-IP strategy of its whole network," commented a project manager in the VoIP research department for China Mobile.

Huawei also announced on Monday that it has integrated BroadSoft's BroadWorks IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) application platform as part of the company's IMS solutions for telecom operators.

Huawei expects to fuel the deployments of IP multi-media services in the enterprise market via this partnership with BroadSoft. The move is said to enhance the operators' ability to deliver IP Centrex and PBX services.