From 19:00 Tuesday to 17:30 Wednesday of last week, many mobile phones had no signals because of a software problem in the mobile network system provided by the Finnish Nokia Company, according to an announcement by Beijing Mobile.

"We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience to our customers brought on by the network failure. Technical experts from our company and Nokia will further co-operate on network quality control and management to prevent the same problem from occurring again,'' said the announcement.

"Mere apology is a sign of irresponsibility of the monopoly to its consumers,'' said Wang Qianhu, director of the department dealing with consumers' complaints under the association.

Wang said his department has received several written complaints since the network failure began.

According to consumer protection and contract laws, Beijing Mobile should compensate phone users for losses, Wang said.

Local mobile companies reduced the fees when a similar network failure occurred in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province and Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, several years ago, according to Wang.

But, Fang Jianguo, an official from Beijing Mobile, argued that since they have resolved the problem within 48 hours, they did not need to compensate citing a regulation on telecom published last year.

"We will ask the Ministry of Information Industry for administrative punishment upon Beijing Mobile if consumers fail to negotiate a deal with the company. Or, we will support consumers in bringing the company to court,'' said Wang.

There are more than 3.5 million mobile users in Beijing, according to sources from the company.

In September, glitches in the software of a gateway mobile switching center provided by Nokia to Beijing Mobile Communications Co caused some fixed phone users in eastern Beijing unable to get through to some cellular phones.

(China Daily 07/18/2001)