China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and National Development and Reform Commission have jointly issued a notice for simplifying fees for long-distance mobile phone calls, and the have decided to implement a single fee method to reduce the fee level.

Starting from January 1, 2010, local communication fees will be exempt when dialing long-distance calls on the local network; and roaming communication fees will be exempt when dialing international long-distance calls and dialing to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in the domestic roaming state. Local media reports that estimates from MIIT show these measures will save about CNY6 billion for mobile phone users each year.

Currently mobile phone users need to pay both local communication fees and long-distance call fees when dialing long-distance calls from the local network. However, after the single fee method is put into effect, users need only pay the long-distance call fees, which will be charged with an upper limit of CNY0.07 every six seconds.

In the domestic roaming state, users need only pay long-distance communication fees when making international long-distance calls and dialing to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. At the same time, making domestic long-distance calls in the domestic roaming state will still be charged no more than CNY0.6 per minute.

Starting from May 1994, China collected local communication fees or roaming fees, in addition to long-distance call fees for mobile phone long-distance calls. In 2008, these two departments set a unified upper limit of CNY0.6 per minute to domestic roaming communication fees. On the completion of this new adjustment, the charge structure of mobile phone calls in China will be more reasonable for consumers.