The State Council has agreed a proposal to split China Telecom, the country’s major fixed-line operator, into northern and southern companies, China Daily said. The northern segment, covering 10 provinces, would be merged with data carriers China Netcom and Jitong Communications to form a new company, while the southern segment, comprising the remaining 20 provinces, would become the new China Telecom. In a television interview, Wu Jichuan, Minister of Information Industry, said that details of the reorganisation were still being worked out and gave no timetable for the split.
A new company, China Telecommunications Satellite Group, bringing together several existing companies in satellite telecommunications, will be formally set up by the end of 2001, Xinhua reported.