Local telecommunications operators said recently they were upgrading their networks to ensure smooth communications during the Informal APEC Economic Leadership Meeting that Shanghai would host in October.

Mr Zheng Jie, General Manager of the Shanghai Mobile Communications Corp., the city's largest mobile communications operator, said the firm would triple the capacity of its network, install networks at all meeting centers and hotels, and provide other services, such as mobile phone card leasing.

Officials of the Shanghai Telecom Corp., the city's largest fixed-line communications operator, said they were setting up a high-speed integrated network that would provide fixed-line telephones, Internet access and visual conferencing exclusively for the meeting.

The APEC meeting, which will be the largest inter-regional meeting here, is expected to attract 7,000 delegates from the 21 economies, 4,000 domestic and overseas journalists, and 2,000 business represen-tatives.

The Shanghai Mobile said it would expand its network which could support 3 million mobile phones, to 9 million.

To improve indoor mobile communications quality, the company would install networks in 600 buildings, including all APEC venues, company officials said.

The company also planed to lease 4,000 SIM cards that could be used to activate mobile phones.

Shanghai Telecom officials said that a more-than-adequate number of fixed-line phones had been installed in all meeting venues, including the Shanghai International Conference Center and Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Media Center in the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower.

(apec-china.org.cn 06/06/2001)