China Telecom Tibet branch has announced that the company had invested CNY220 million in building of telecom base stations in this region since October 2008, with the aim of providing better services to local users.

Li Xiaohua, general manager for China Telecom Tibet, told local media that China Telecom has promised to create a new mobile communications network when taking over the CDMA network from China Unicom and the company aims to provide Tibetan farmers and herdsmen with the same modern and convenient communications technologies as those in other provinces of China.

As a scarcely populated area, Tibet's network coverage is far from satisfactory. Though there are telephones, the mobile phone signals could not cover the pastures in the past. Once there was blizzard, it would be hard for people on the pastures to get in touch with their families.

To handle this problem, China Telecom built 249 new outdoor base stations in the fourth quarter of 2008 alone and completed network coverage of major areas in Tibet, including all the cities and towns above the county level, major tourist attractions, main traffic routes, and border posts.

Li adds that Tibet's telecom department will offer preferential policies to residents of the farming and pastoral areas who buy and use mobile phones.