Just weeks after signing a deal to sell iPhone in China, China Unicom moved to ensure its relationship with Telefonica by the agreement to invest in the Spanish company and expand several existing agreements.

China Unicom USA will pay about 1 billion U.S. dollars for a stake of 0.88 percent in Telefonica and the Spanish telecommunications company will increase its investment in China Unicom for about $ 1 billion for a stake of 8 percent, from 5.38 per percent today, the two companies said in a joint statement.

The companies also expanded a strategic alliance designed to deepen their trade relations, including joint work of the network and technology development, joint procurement of infrastructure and equipment for customers, the joint development of wireless platforms, to work together to provide services to multinationals, the mobile phone roaming, and exchange of technical, operational and management expertise.

Companies believe that markets give them an advantage globally. Telefonica has over 264 million subscribers in Spain, Europe and Latin America, while China Unicom has 141 million mobile subscribers and subscribers of fixed lines and Internet services in China broadband.

Telefónica first gained a stake in China Unicom in October, after the company took over China Netcom, Telefonica had a share since 2005. Telefonica and China Unicom, both run 3G (third generation mobile telecommunications) networks to WCDMA (Code Division Multiple Access broadband).

China Unicom signed a contract for 3 years with Apple a little more than a week to become the first Chinese airline to sell iPhones in China.

Related posts:

1. U.S. study broadband, says “open access” promotes competition
2. Area of 3G, as it grows 4G
3. AT&T Wireless CEO Councils ‘management’ iPhone data processing
4. Apple Maps may replace Google Maps on iPhone
5. Vodafone Egypt – 160,000 broadband users in 2009