China has built a nationwide mobile phone network capable of providing services for 50 million subscribers, according to an official from China Unicom, the country's builder and operator of the network.

The official said the network, the world's largest, covers all cities, all seats of counties, with the exception of some of Tibet Autonomous Region.

China has had more than 300 million mobile phone subscribers, including CDMA (code division multiple access) and GSM networks. China Unicom also operates a GSM network and its rival China Mobile runs a larger GSM network.

China Unicom said its CDMA network is capable of providing its subscribers services such as news, entertainment, business and positioning of CDMA subscribers.

The company would improve its voice and data services by the end of this year, after it completes the major infrastructure project.

(Xinnhua News Agency September 20, 2004)