Nokia opens 3G development center in Taipei

Nokia has opened a development center for 3G (third-generation) mobile services in Taipei, the company announced Thursday.

The Mobile Services Development Center will work with operators and regulators to develop products and services that take advantage of the increased bandwidth that 3G services provide, Nokia said. Areas that the center will focus on include the development of Chinese-language content, IP (Internet Protocol) multimedia applications, and certification for local application developers, it said.

Taiwanese operators began rolling out 3G services earlier this year and Nokia has been a supplier of 3G network equipment to several of the biggest mobile operators. Opening the 3G development center in Taiwan will allow Nokia to support the development of new 3G content and applications for Chinese-speaking users, the company said.

Down the road, that could help Nokia in mainland China, where government regulators have not yet given the go-ahead for operators to roll out 3G services.

The Mobile Services Development Center in Taipei will also provide courses related to the Symbian operating system, used in some Nokia mobile phones, to local application developers, Nokia said. The company is working with Taiwan’s Institute for Information Industry (III) to provide training for local developers, it said.