Telecommunications in China

Even among the global telecommunications boom over the past decade starting early 1990s, the phenomenal rate of growth in the telecommunications sector in China is no less than a miracle. Not only that China now has the largest fixed line telecommunications network and the biggest mobile telephone market in the world, but China has also become a global power in telecommunications equipment supply and a serious contender in technology provision. This paper gives an overview on the telecommunications sector in China, with particular concerns on the policy and regulatory regime, the market structure and competition landscape, R&D activities and technical progress, and educational systems and human resource development. It is hoped that the explanation of the development process can serve as an indication of the future development of China's telecommunications sector in a more open and globalized economy.