Sumitomo Electric Launches into Chinese FTTH Market

Sumitomo Electric Networks, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric for optical telecommunication business, announced on Tuesday the firm invests in Wuhan Yangtze Optical Technology Corp (YOTC), a manufacturer of FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) communication equipment in Wuhan City of Hubei Province, China. Sumitomo Electric Networks invests 25 million yuan, which equals to approximately 400 million yen, for 18.9% stake in YOTC. Sumitomo Electric Networks launches into Chinese FTTH market through YOTC.YOTC is a joint venture specialized into FTTH telecom appliances whose main shareholder is Yangtze Optical Fiber & Cable, the largest manufacturer of optical fiber cables in China. YOTC was established in October 2006 invested by leading companies of Hubei Province where optical telecom industries are strongly promoted.Sumitomo Electric Networks aims to expand sales of Gigabit Ethernet-passive optical network (GE-PON) equipment in China. GE-PON technology allows a maximum of 32 households to share a 1-gigabit-per-second optical fiber.In China further construction and expansion of information infrastructure is expected following such large-scale events as the Beijing Olympics and Shanghai World Expo. The number of FTTH subscriber lines in China is prospected to reach 20 million by 2011.