Asking O2 Telecom to propose investing in Huawei is just an attempt by Barron. Even if it is rejected by the other party, it will not affect the cooperation between the two parties.
Huawei attaches great importance to the O2 Telecom order, which may be the largest order in Europe since the establishment of the company.
After all, this involves the construction of mobile communications and broadband networks in the markets of Britain, France and Germany.
In the words of Boss Ren, this time they are trying to win orders with a learning attitude. They would rather not make money than to establish Huawei's brand in Europe and use it to familiarize themselves with and master various European standards.
Therefore, Huawei's final offer also surprised O2 Telecom. It offered 1.5 billion pounds to complete the construction of mobile communications and broadband networks in the UK, France and Germany - including the construction of 3G networks in major cities in the UK, 2G network coverage throughout the country and broadband network upgrades; 3G network construction in major cities in France and Germany, 2G network coverage throughout the country, and broadband network coverage.
You know, their quotation is 50% lower than that of other European and American companies!
Therefore, the two parties reached an agreement and signed a cooperation agreement between O2 Telecom and Huawei. The agreement stipulates that Huawei will first complete the 3G network deployment in major cities in the French market and 2G network coverage throughout the country, and complete broadband network coverage.
Once the French project passes O2 Telecom's review and meets its standards, Huawei will receive subsequent orders and continue to carry out network construction projects in the British and German markets.
The total value of the project is £1.5 billion and will be paid in stages. The payment stages and requirements are detailed in the contract signed by both parties.
Previously, O2 Telecom's prepaid discounts in the UK raised a total of more than 1 billion pounds. Although part of these funds were diverted by DS Capital to short the euro against the US dollar, the remaining funds were sufficient to pay the down payment of this contract.
Moreover, the entire contract project will last for nearly two years, and Barron has no doubt that the total amount of 1.5 billion pounds will be paid by then.
…
The car stopped in front of a Victorian-style villa on Kensington Street. Boss Ren got out of the car and saw a middle-aged man in a tuxedo with a strong British butler style standing upright in front of the villa. He bowed slightly to him and said in a pure London accent:
"Welcome, Mr. Ren. Our Duke is already waiting for your visit."
Yes, after O2 Telecom signed a big contract worth 1.5 billion pounds with Huawei, Mr. Ren, who was still in England, received an exquisite invitation. The boss of O2 Telecom, Sir Baron Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, invited him to a banquet.
This is also the reason why he came to this mansion in Kensington today.
"Hello, Mr. Ren, nice to meet you. I'm Barron Cavendish, you can just call me Barron."
Because he had invested in Penguin and became its major shareholder, Mr. Ren, whose company is also headquartered in Shenzhen, had heard a lot of rumors about this young British Duke. Especially after receiving the cooperation invitation from O2 Telecom and learning that this top three telecommunications company in the UK had just been acquired by the Duke of Cavendish this year, he also contacted Pony of Penguin and asked some questions about this British Duke.
Therefore, when Boss Ren heard the handsome young man in front of him greeting him in pure Chinese, he was mentally prepared, but he still felt a little surprised.
After all, the standard for "speaking Chinese well" is different for Chinese and foreigners.
He had met people who could speak Chinese and speak it so well that he felt like "this foreigner speaks Chinese really well", but Boss Ren had only met one person who could speak it like the young duke, who spoke like someone who had lived in China since childhood.
"Your Highness, you speak Chinese very well."
Well, sure enough, every Chinese person Barron met would say this when they had their first conversation with him.
Baron actually invited Boss Ren to come over today to have lunch together. The time agreed in his invitation letter was almost before lunch, so after the two of them exchanged greetings, it was almost time for lunch.
Led by the butler Ramos, Barron and the boss came to the restaurant of the villa.
"Mr. Ren, I know you have lived in Shenzhen for a long time, so I asked my Chinese chef to prepare this table of Cantonese food. I hope you will be satisfied."
Boss Ren had never expected that when he came to the home of the British Duke in London, he would be able to eat such a table of Cantonese cuisine. After tasting it, he found that the taste was very authentic and he couldn't help but praise it.
"Thank you, Duke, for placing such a large order with our company. We will also do our utmost to complete it with high standards and quality."
After the meal started, Boss Ren raised his glass and said to Barron.
"You're welcome, Mr. Ren. Your company is able to cooperate with us entirely because of your strength. Of course, I also hope that Huawei can adapt to our British standards as soon as possible and finally get a result that satisfies both parties."
The two talked about this cooperation, and Barron took the initiative to say:
"In fact, I have deliberately learned about the development process of your company. I admire that you have been able to go from the initial import trade to independent research and development and production, and continue to invest in technology research to reach the current level of technology. If we can complete this cooperation, O2 Telecom is also willing to deepen cooperation with Huawei in the future, and even the two sides can cooperate in research and development. After all, the current mobile communication technology is changing very rapidly. 3G networks have begun to be realized and will gradually become popular in the next two years. Many companies are also investing in the development of the subsequent 4G technology. In terms of future mobile communication technology, O2 Telecom also hopes to have closer cooperation with Huawei."
Regarding the subsequent cooperation between the two parties, Barron knows Huawei's future technological strength and development speed, so he is definitely willing to have more cooperation with the other party.
However, he only mentioned it briefly and didn't say much.
Because at this time, O2 Telecom and Huawei had just started their cooperation, so there was no need to say too much.
Moreover, O2 Telecom is currently just a telecom operator. In terms of communication technology, Boss Ren does not think that the cooperation between the two parties will be very in-depth. At most, O2 Telecom will be involved.
But Barron's ambition in mobile communications is not limited to being an operator; he also has ambitions in technology.
But the time is not right yet. Let's wait until he has made a move in this field. Now it's just a prelude.
Barron invited Mr. Ren to come here today just to get to know him and gradually deepen mutual trust and understanding. To become a partner, it takes step by step.
It's not that Barron has to cooperate with Chinese companies, but in this field, the only companies that have core technologies are American companies. Even as America's allies, they may not be willing to share with British companies.
Looking at the ending of Alstom in France, I think you will understand this.
As a technological "follower", Huawei is more open in this regard. At least they also need some allies.