CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, February 24 /PRNewswire/ --

Despite an overall economic contraction, network operator spending on telecom equipment in the Asia/Pacific region will rise slightly over the next 24 months, driven primarily by deployment of 3G networks in China, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (http://www.pyr.com), the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (http://www.lightreading.com ).

Capex in Asia/Pacific: Driven by 3G in China, Spending to Rise Despite Global Downturn analyzes the drivers that make investing in infrastructure imperative for operators in Asia/Pacific. This 13-page report puts the revenue generated in Asia into a global context and looks at the plans for future capital expenditure (capex) in both developed and emerging markets in the region. The report also identifies and analyzes technology suppliers that are poised to win contracts in the competitive Asia/Pacific market. Three case studies on NTT DoCoMo, China Mobile, and Bharti Airtel focus on the capex plans of the main players in Japan, China, and India, providing metrics, such as capex, as a percentage of service revenue.

Download an excerpt of this new report here: http://www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=5sc=PR022409_IAP

Despite anticipated declines in GDP for most countries in the Asia/Pacific region, operators throughout the region have stuck to their overall investment plans, with 4G and national broadband network investments leading the agenda, notes Tae-Hyung Kim, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. Markets such as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea are seeing an ever-increasing appetite for higher-bandwidth applications on mobile networks and increasing mobile broadband adoption rates, he says. On the fixed side, governments of these developed markets are pushing operators to improve fiber access to households. In fact, these governments view spending on telecommunication infrastructure as a prudent long-term investment.

China's telecom operators will show the world's largest capex spending increases in 2009, Kim says. All three operators - China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom - are not only extending their 2G infrastructure to rural areas but also earmarking tens of billions of dollars for their new 3G networks. These trends play to the advantage of Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE.

Capex in Asia/Pacific: Driven by 3G in China, Spending to Rise Despite Global Downturn is the second in Pyramid Research's Telecom Insider Report Series. Published monthly for each of the world's most dynamic regions, Telecom Insiders are packed with trend analysis, industry best practices, market sizing and forecasting, competitor analysis, and case studies, providing you information you can leverage to make better business decisions.

Download an excerpt of this new report here: http://www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=5sc=PR022409_IAP

Capex in Asia/Pacific: Driven by 3G in China, Spending to Rise Despite Global Downturn is priced at US$595 and can be purchased online here (http://www.pyramidresearch.com/store/ins_ap_090219.htm?sc=PR022409_IAP) or through Jeff Claudino via email at claudino@lightreading.com or telephone at +1-619-229-9940.

About Pyramid Research

Pyramid Research (http://www.pyr.com) offers practical solutions to the complex demands our clients face in the telecommunications, media and technology industries. Our analysis is uniquely positioned at the intersection of emerging markets, emerging technologies, and emerging business models, powered by the bottom-up methodology of our market forecasts for over 100 countries - a distinction that has remained unmatched for over 25 years. As the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network, Pyramid Research works with Heavy Reading, providing the communications industry's most comprehensive market data, trusted research, and insightful technology analysis.

About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (http://www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the US$3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

About TechWeb

TechWeb (http://techweb.com/aboutus) , the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events, Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services including next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than US$2.5 billion.

*13.3 million business decision-makers: based on number of monthly connections

About United Business Media Limited (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

United Business Media Limited (UBM) is a global media and marketing services company that informs markets and brings the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. UBM serves professional and commercial communities, from IT professionals to doctors, from journalists to jewelry dealers, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. UBM employs more than 6,500 people in more than 30 countries. UBM's businesses operating in the US include CMPMedica, Commonwealth Business Media, Everything Channel, PR Newswire, RISI, TechInsights, TechWeb, and Think Services. UBM is listed on the London Stock Exchange (UBM.L) and has a market capitalization of US$2.5 billion.

Press contact: Jennifer Baker +1-617-871-1910 jbaker@pyr.com

Jennifer Baker of Pyramid Research, +1-617-871-1910, jbaker@pyr.com