China - restoring service after the earthquake

China restores mobile telecommunication services in areas worst hit by quake

Telecom operators have restored mobile telecommunications service in areas worst-hit by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in southwestern China's Sichuan province last Monday, a government official said.

Xi Guohua, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information, told a press briefing today that the network of seven counties including Wenchuan, Lixian, Maoxian and Qingchuan is up and running again.

Telecom firms are still repairing networks in 33 towns in the quake disaster zone after 76 towns resumed services, Xi said.

Companies in Sichuan suffered 67 bln yuan in direct losses from last week's earthquake, Xi noted.