On September 22 China Telecom announced that from October 1 2009, customers joining the company's "One Home," "Biz Navigator" and "E-Surfing for Merchants and Travelers" packages will be able to receive calls free of charge in 31 of China's provinces and municipalities.

Analysts pointed out that this means that China Telecom has in effect abolished mobile roaming service charges, because these three packages have the lowest tariffs and free local incoming calls. At present, the minimum monthly fee for the China Telecom "E-Surfing for Merchants and Travelers" package in Beijing is 89 yuan, and users can recieve local calls free of charge.

China Telecom officials said that the entire group has spent half a year in improving and optimizing the mobile network in order to realize free incoming calls nationwide for mobile phone users. China Telecom will also successively launch over 70 types of 3G 1,000-yuan (around 150 U.S. dollars) mobile phones coordinate operation.

It is reported that China Unicom will implement similar measures. The 3G package the company is launching at the end of September will abolish roaming charges and incoming call charges.