Country's 1st trunking telecom network in operation in Chongqing
30/5/2005 16:45
Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news
China Railway
Communication Co Ltd has formally begun operation of a digital trunking telecom
network in Chongqing, a direct-administrative municipality in West China,
today's Sina.com reported.
It has become the country's first telecom operator
to provide a digital-trunking-technology-based mobile phone service.
The
Chongqing government will use this phone network for communications and traffic
distribution at the upcoming 2005 Asia Pacific Cities Summit, which will convene
in the city in mid October.
Since this network began commercial operation on
a trial basis in Chongqing late last year, it has enrolled 800 users, mostly
police and firemen group users, according to a spokesperson with China Railcom's
Chongqing unit.
Its network covers the city downtown area and suburban
districts such as Wanzhou, Fuling, Hechuan and Jiangjin, he noted.
While
optimistic about the prospects of this phone service among business users,
analysts citing its higher costs say it will be unattractive to individual
users.
As well as paying the same telecom rates as fixed-line phones, users
of this digital trunking network must pay a monthly rent of 80 yuan (US$9.7),
much higher than landline phones or ordinary cell phones.
The network
requires users to invest to build an information distribution center before
using the communications within them, which analysts said is impractical for
individual users.
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