China Telecom, China's largest telecommunications company, opened a new International Direct Dialing (IDD) service nationwide on February 1st.

The new service, "Yitong," uses Internet Protocol (IP) technology and is operated on an independent telephone system composed of special international telephone lines. The two advantages provide faster connection speed and better communication quality than IP service with lower charges than ordinary IDD service.

With approval by the Ministry of Information Industry, China Telecom began trial application of the service last May in a number of large cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The service received an enthusiastic response from local consumers.

To meet the increasing demand of Chinese consumers nationwide, China Telecom decided to promote the service in all cities in China. Customers only need to buy a Yitong Card to be eligible for the service.

From February 1 to March 20, Yitong will reduce charges for international calls from China to foreign countries and to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao.