UTStarcom, Inc., which offers global access networking and services, today announced a new contract valued at approximately $40 million with China Telecom Corporation (CTC) to expand and optimize its IP-based PAS (Personal Access System) (iPAS) network in China's Jiangsu Province.

Under the terms of the contract, iPAS networks will be expanded in seven cities in the province. UTStarcom will also extend its mSwitch-based iPAS core network in two cities and the value-added services (VAS) platform for the entire province.

Nearly four million people currently subscribe for PAS service in Jiangsu Province, the second largest telecom market in China after the Guangdong Province. More than 60 percent of all new fixed-line subscribers in the region are PAS users, and the average revenue per user (ARPU) markedly higher than that of traditional fixed-line users. UTStarcom's PAS wireless network solutions are designed to enable a rapid network expansion and an easy migration from fixed to wireless networks, enabling service providers to offer wireless voice and data services within a city or community.