Shanghai will concentrate scientific research on three key projects this year - the development of fourth-generation wireless technology, vaccines for infectious diseases and environmentally efficient products, city officials said yesterday.

The 4G technology will enable cell phone users to watch high-definition TV and hold video conferences more freely, while new vaccines will lift the city's public health level.

So far, the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission has invested some 60 million yuan (US$7.5 million) into the 4G project. It wouldn't say yesterday how much has been spent on the other two projects. "Many people will benefit from our projects," commission director Li Yiping said.

Shanghai has built the country's first outdoor testing facility for 4G wireless technology, including vehicle-mounted radio equipment and several stations in Changning District to conduct two-way signal tests. The local network will become a template for the national 4G project, while the city will build a pilot area on Chongming Island this year to test 4G wireless networks, officials said.

The 4G wireless technology is expected to provide data transfer rates of up to 100 megabytes a second - about 100 times faster than current networks and 50 times faster than a 3G network.

Such fast speeds are essential for constant picture, video and voice data transfer to people on the move, experts said.

For the environmental protection, Shanghai will set up a new "World Expo Science and Technology Testing Area" to try new environmental products, particularly eco-efficient buildings with intelligently designed waste-water recycling, solar power and ventilation systems.

Some model buildings will be raised within the 5.28-square-kilometer World Expo site. They will be put into practical use afterwards, officials said.

(Shanghai Daily February 17, 2007)