RFI Global Services Ltd., ever alert to the specialized testing requirements for the cellular, wireless, electronics and smart card markets worldwide, has announced a joint venture agreement with Radio Sky, a commercial enterprise with investment by the Chinese State Radio Monitoring Centre (SRMC). RFI is a majority shareholder in the RFI China Ltd. venture and through this agreement will provide Chinese manufacturers with mobile performance testing in Beijing using test platforms that include the Rohde & Schwarz TS8950GW, CRTU-G and CRTU-W.
These platforms enable testing of handsets being developed for overseas markets including Europe and the US, for GSM/GPRS & EGPRS technologies in the 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz frequency band ranges. In addition, testing of W-CDMA will also be available.
"The primary focus of the joint venture is to provide quality local support to Chinese manufacturers wishing to export their products," said Stephen Kirk, CEO of RFI. "RFI's relationship with Radio Sky is a major milestone for us, reinforcing our commitment to the Asia market. As a partner, Radio Sky provides not only significant knowledge of the local market but a strong technical background in RF product testing and standardization. We recognize that not only is there a large domestic market in China for GSM and in the future 3G, but also an increase in R&D centers for many mobile phone manufacturers."
Putting the Chinese viewpoint, Yin Jixin, chairman of Radio Sky, commented, "The Chinese SRMC is confident that setting up the joint venture with RFI will be an important attempt for the Chinese testing market to gradually adopt the practices of the international market. The joint venture will enhance the international testing capabilities of Radio Sky, leveraged on its domestic testing and accreditation services in China. More importantly, the joint venture will be able to provide a one-stop testing and accreditation platform to better serve Chinese domestic and multinational manufacturers."