Telephones - main lines in use:

368 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

461.1 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns; China continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; 3 of China's 6 major telecommunications operators are part of an international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation fiber optic submarine cable system directly linking the US mainland and China
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of internet users reached 162 million in 2007; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region, and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)

Radios:

417 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations, and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)

Televisions:

400 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.cn

Internet hosts:

10.637 million (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

3 (2000)

Internet users:

162 million (2007)