Ericsson, the world's leading mobile network supplier said Saturday it will invest US$1 billion to expand its fast growing business in China in the coming five years.

Mats Holsson, president of Ericsson (China) Company Ltd. said the money will go to a variety of sectors including the supply, production, research and development departments.

"We will step up with the development of telecommunication service in China, meanwhile promote the 3G projects here to help our customers cope with the challenge." said Holsson.

Earlier this week, Carls Henric Svanberg, president and CEO of the Sweden-based Ericsson, announced at Guangdong's International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong (ICCFED) that the company will donate 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) to promote the province's mobile network construction, joining hands with Guangdong Mobile.

"Guangdong is one of our key markets in Asia. We have set up here a new R&D company in May this year. It will contribute to the application of the 3G technology." said Svanberg.

Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. More than 40 percent of all mobile calls are made through its systems. It owns over 35 percent of the world's GSM/EDGE market share and 40 percent of the WCDMA market share.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2005)