(Yicai Global) March 1 -- Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment Corp. (ZTE Corp.) has struck a strategic agreement with Qatar's telecommunications firm Ooredoo Group Llc on the fifth-generation (5G) communication, with the two to jointly promote 5G technical testing and commercialization in the Middle East and North Africa.

The two penned their agreement at the ongoing Mobile World Conference 2018 (MWC2018) in Barcelona, Spain, Sohu Technology reported today. ZTE Corp. will provide overall technical support for the collaboration, start first-phase testing this year and complete joint verification with Ooredoo of 5G technology architecture, business models and user experience.

Ooredoo will maintain a long-term partnership with ZTE Corp., said Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani, the former's chief executive. The 5G agreement will bring exciting digital life experiences to the group's 164 million users and promote formation of a 5G ecology in the region.

ZTE Corp. has steadily upped its investment in 5G in recent years. Already working with China's three major operators, it has also teamed with their counterparts in Italy, Belgium, Malaysia and South Korea.