The RFP covers the manufacturing of a large number of STN-A1 and STN-A3 carrier-grade disaggregated routers hardware. The project is divided into two packages, with UTStarcom awarded a separate frame contract for each package with specific router quantities to be determined in purchase orders that will follow:
- Package 1: Manufacturing of STN-A1 routers (1RU pizza-box, 300Gbps switching capacity). UTStarcom was awarded 70% of this package.
- Package 2: Manufacturing of STN-A3 routers (4RU modular chassis, 800Gbps switching capacity). UTStarcom was awarded 100% of this package.
This new contract builds upon UTStarcom’s ongoing collaboration with China Telecom Research Institute, which has focused on developing a “white-box” disaggregated router platform optimized for 5G transport networks as announced before.
“This RFP win marks an important milestone in UTStarcom’s cooperation with China Telecom Research Institute and China Telecom, as we advance from product design services to volume manufacturing of STN routers for China Telecom’s 5G transport network,” said Mr. Li Hua, UTStarcom’s Chief Executive Officer. “Network disaggregation technology has been one of the key strategic focus areas for UTStarcom in recent years. It attracts telecom operators with its potential to break vendor lock-in, reduce costs, and achieve open, future-proof solutions tailored to specific operator’s needs. These new contract awards further confirm UTStarcom’s leadership in designing and manufacturing of disaggregated network products, and strengthen our position in the Chinese telecom equipment market.”