Spotwave Wireless has reached a deal with China's second-largest wireless carrier to deploy its in-building wireless antenna systems.

Spotwave says China Unicom will make bulk purchases of its SpotCell adaptive repeaters for deployment throughout its CDMA and GSM networks.

China Unicom has over 100 million subscribers and is the third largest wireless operator in the world.

"Mobile phone use and new data applications are experiencing exponential growth in China, but reliable in-building coverage is a critical factor for this continued growth," Bill Carlin, CEO of Spotwave Wireless, said in a statement.

"We're thrilled to have our product selected as an in-building solution of choice by China Unicom, who can readily see the benefits of our adaptive technology and can be assured of continued network integrity. This success lays the foundation for our expansion into the rapidly growing Chinese wireless market."

Spotwave's antenna systems improve mobile phone reception in buildings, by eliminating so-called "dead zones" where signals are unavailable. Materials such as concrete and glass can prevent a signal from entering a building.

"SpotCell adaptive repeaters change the economics and deployment model for in-building solutions, and as a leading distributor of cutting edge technology, we're very pleased to represent Spotwave here in China," said Jitian Shi, vice president of sales and marketing with Twenty First Century, SpotWave's representative in China.