NEC Corp. said Thursday it has sold its British operation for manufacturing mobile phones to a Canadian electronics firm as part of its effort to streamline production.

NEC has sold the facilities -- employing 460 people -- run by NEC Technologies (U.K.) Ltd. to Celestica Inc., which will manufacture and supply mobile handsets to be sold under the NEC brand.

NEC Technologies, which used to produce about 200,000 mobile phones a month, will continue to research and develop mobile phone technology, the company said.