MediaTek (Hsinchu, Taiwan) said the agreement is the first-phase of a strategic cooperation with Docomo that MediaTek hopes to strengthen and broaden into a long-term partnership including interoperability testing, joint worldwide marketing and technology initiatives.

MediaTek plans to integrate the LTE technology with its 2G and 3G technologies to provide "solutions" for Japanese and other markets. Under the licensing agreement, MediaTek will promote and market its LTE-PF-based advanced mobile platform with its global customers and partners.

"MediaTek has earned a market-leading reputation in the 2G era. We will continue to innovate from 2G into 3G and 3G into LTE,” said Ming-Kai Tsai, chairman and CEO of MediaTek, in a statement. "This licensing agreement will not only enable MediaTek to offer a globally interoperable LTE mobile platform but also allows us to provide our customers and partners with cutting-edge wireless communication solutions and a smooth transition from 3G to 4G and beyond. We look forward to building upon this important agreement to further deepen our relationship with Docomo."

Toshio Miki, managing director of communication device development department of Docomo, said: "The agreement marks the start of strategic cooperation between Docomo and MediaTek to help popularize LTE, which will enable MediaTek's LTE products to spread throughout the global mobile market and enable Docomo to introduce LTE-compatible consumer services for enriched user experiences."

For further information: www.mediatek.com and www.nttdocomo.com.