With now just less than a year to go before the smog-drenched Olympic Games begin, the Beijing Olympic Communications Bureau, a department that provides fixed communications service for the core areas of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has formally commenced its operations.

Constructed and operated by China Netcom, the Beijing Olympic Communications Bureau will directly serve such venues as Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee's Technology Command Center, the Olympic Games Village, International Broadcasting Center, MPC, National Palestra and National Swimming Center, according to Yang Yichun, director of the Technology Department of Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

In the meantime, the Olympic Call Center built by China Netcom has also been put into operation. By combining the most advanced hardware and software technologies, the 2000-seat center can receive 1050 incoming phones at the same time. It has already been used to provide hotline services for the Olympic Games volunteers.