Huawei and RMIT to deliver Next-Generation Training

 -     Huawei to train up to 2,000 Australians in Next-Generation technology

Melbourne, Australia, July 7, 2010: Huawei Australia and RMIT University have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver Next-Generation technology training to Australia’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.

Over the coming years Huawei aims to train between 1,000 - 2,000 Australians on a variety of new technologies including Long Term Evolution (LTE), fibre Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) and Next-Generation broadband applications.

“The partnership between RMIT University and Huawei will help place Australia at the forefront of Next-Generation technology, applications and innovation,” said Huawei’s Chief Technology Officer, Peter Rossi. “This is especially timely given that the ICT industry is in need of a highly-skilled workforce to make full use of the National Broadband Network (NBN).”

The partnership will see classrooms equipped with the latest Huawei equipment and devices, as well as permanent Huawei staff on hand to assist in teaching students about the latest technology breakthroughs direct from Huawei’s global Research and Development (R&D) centres.

Huawei expects that 500 students in Victoria will be trained through the agreement with RMIT over the next three years. Huawei is currently in discussions with a number of additional Australian Universities to provide similar Next-Generation technology training courses, bringing the total number to 1,000 - 2,000 nationally. 

“Huawei has chosen Victoria as its training base and RMIT University as its lead university to drive its entry into the next generation broadband market, training over 1000 students nationally – including 500 in Victoria – over the next three years,” said Victorian Minister for Information and Communication Technology John Lenders. “The Next Generation Technology Training Centre will be a joint effort between RMIT and Huawei focused on providing training for the latest in next-generation technology and products.”

“A major part of the centre’s function will be training people across the ICT industry on next-generation technology, with a particular focus on products and hardware for the National Broadband Network,” Mr Lenders said.

The agreement with RMIT follows an announcement in May that Huawei would create more than 200 new jobs in the state as part of Huawei’s continued growth in Victoria. Additionally, Huawei has delivered Next-Generation broadband solutions to the University of Melbourne as part of the National Broadband Network ‘test-bed’ being created by the Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society (IBES).

“We are excited to be leading an initiative that will accelerate the development of high-speed Next-Gen communications and applications in Australia,” said Mr Rossi. “This partnership is the start of a national roll-out of training programs. It will go a long way in creating local jobs through knowledge transfer, based on world-leading training opportunities,” he said.

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About Huawei

Huawei is a global leader in providing next generation telecommunications networks, and now serves 45 of the world’s top 50 operators, along with over one billion users worldwide. In 2009, Huawei was ranked as the world’s number 1 patent applicant by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), with 1,737 applications published in a single year. The company is committed to providing innovative and customised products, services and solutions. Visit www.huawei.com.au for more information.

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Luke Coleman

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Email: Luke_Coleman@huawei.com