During July and August, fixed phone subscribers on the Chinese mainland increased by 3.02 million altogether.

China's Ministry of Industry Information (MII) said on Friday the country's telecommunications sector continued its robust expansion with telephone users totaling 397 million. Mobile phone subscribers numbered 190 million by the end of September.

Currently there are 31.99 phones for every 100 people in China, including 14.95 mobile phones. Fixed phone service is available in 85.3 percent of administrative villages.

According to the MII, by the end of last month, the business of China's telecommunications operators generated a total of 298.7 billion yuan (about US$36.12 billion) of turnover.

China reported the world's biggest phone ownership at the end of July this year when the number reached 380 million. By the end of July last year, China ranked first in the world in terms of mobile phone ownership with the number hitting 120.6 million.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2002)