As mobile fees decreased and the rural market for cell phones continued to open up, the number of cell phone users expanded rapidly. In January alone, the figure surged by 6.33 million, figures from the ministry of information industry showed.
A total of 41.16 billion text messages were sent by cell phone users in January, up 22.1 per cent year on year.
According to the MII, the number of telephone users has topped 830 million, with that of fixed-line telephone users reaching 368 million.
Meanwhile, China's two major fixed-line
telephone operators have signed an agreement to confine each other to their major geographical market to limit competition, media reports said.
China Telecom -- which operates in central and southern China -- and China Netcom which is based in the northern region, were split off from the former nationwide monopoly China Telecom to spur competition in the sector.
"Competition brings no profits at all nowadays, as there is little room for growth in the almost saturated fixed-line market. The agreement aims to restrain negative competition and wasted investment," an unnamed China Telecom source was quoted as saying by the 21st Century Business Herald.
