The number of mobile phone users will reach above 440 million by the end of 2006, and fixed line subscribers will rise to over 380 million, said an expert with the Ministry of Information Industry (MII).

Statistics with the MII show that the number of phone users has been growing steadily this year. The number of new mobile phone users is still higher than that of new fixed line users in the first ten months this year.

By the end of this year, Chinese fixed line subscribers will amount to 350 million and mobile phone users 390 million, predicted Yang Qing, expert with China Academy of Telecommunications, at a conference held this week.

Statistics with the MII also indicate that at the end of October, the number of fixed line users reached 348 million and mobile phone subscribers 383 million.

China Telecom has 60.9 percent of all fixed line users, China Netcom 34.6 percent, and China Railcom 4.4 percent, said Yang.

Among the mobile phone users, China Mobile accounts for 66.8 percent, China Unicom's GSM subscribers 24.6 percent and CDMA 8.6 percent, she said.

Source: Xinhua