How long it will take to put it into service if this algorithm passes public evaluation and becomes a standard?

Do you think ZUC is a promising encryption algorithm?
I wander when we will enjoy the service related to ZUC if it is widely accepted by the public ?

ZUC is proposed as an algorithm for the "4G" mobile technology called LTE (Long Term Evolution). If ZUC is accepted into that standard, it will almost certainly be some time in 2011 ... and then I guess it might be another year or before products using it are on the shelves.

But remember that - at least to start with - ZUC is mainly for use within China. There are other crypto algorithms already standardised for LTE, which will be the ones naturally used in most countries. (I don't know which country you're from, Lynn ....)

Perhaps a more interesting question to ask is when LTE networks and devices will be available in your country at all ... whether or not they include the ZUC algorithm.

Steve Babbage wrote:ZUC is proposed as an algorithm for the "4G" mobile technology called LTE (Long Term Evolution). If ZUC is accepted into that standard, it will almost certainly be some time in 2011 ... and then I guess it might be another year or before products using it are on the shelves.

But remember that - at least to start with - ZUC is mainly for use within China. There are other crypto algorithms already standardised for LTE, which will be the ones naturally used in most countries. (I don't know which country you're from, Lynn ....)

Perhaps a more interesting question to ask is when LTE networks and devices will be available in your country at all ... whether or not they include the ZUC algorithm.

Thank you very much for answering my question.
I am very glad to tell you that I'm from China.
But I am still a little comfused why we use different algrithms. Maybe just for security?

Lynn wrote:
But I am still a little comfused why we use different algrithms. Maybe just for security?

It's just because of Chinese regulation. For LTE we had already defined algorithms using "global standards" like AES. But Chinese regulation won't allow those algorithms to be used in China: for use in China we needed an algorithm designed in China.