ZTE and Alcatel sign CDMA deal

China's biggest listed telecom firm, ZTE, and France's Alcatel have inked a deal to build CDMA mobile networks, state media reported. The alliance is the latest involving Western telecom players seeking partnerships with Chinese telecom players in order to gain a foothold in the world's fast growing mobile services market. For ZTE, which has launched new phones in Europe, the deal would pave the way into markets outside China.