| As China looks set to continue its relentless | | | | services illegal in 2004 so that its so |
| economic growth into the foreseeable future, | | | | called 'market-order' could be preserved. |
| in all areas of its industries, how it reacts | | | | |
| to the strong influence of VoIP will be | | | | China Telecom has made conversed with a |
| carefully monitored by industry experts. | | | | number of software and hardware vending |
| | | | companies over efforts to be able to monitor |
| According to BDA, an IT based consultancy, | | | | or disable skype more when it eventually |
| China's China Telecom revenue got hit hard | | | | becomes more popular. Indeed, new systems of |
| during the first half of 2005, all because of | | | | monitoring have been implemented already in |
| the nation's increase in VoIP use. | | | | Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing. |
| | | | Further implementation will happen nationwide |
| Dongming Zhang, BDA's research director | | | | during 2006-2007. |
| explained to UPI that the revenue from long | | | | |
| distance calls, for China Telecom, had fallen | | | | China Telecom, China Mobile, China Netcom, |
| by 2.8% from the first half of 2004 to the | | | | China Unicom, Satcom and Railcom are the |
| first half of 2005, from $1,858 to $1,805. | | | | major and dominant telecom carriers in China. |
| | | | Regulators from the government are able to |
| VoIP has by far and away been the greatest | | | | control competition between these companies |
| factor influencing the decrease in revenue. | | | | through only allowing the use of telephone to |
| With China Telecom's second largest money | | | | telephone VoIP services via cards that are |
| stream (18.2% of its total 2005 revenue) | | | | pre-paid for by the consumer. |
| coming from long distance calling the company | | | | |
| is worried. | | | | No other companies in China's VoIP market are |
| | | | allowed to operate. |
| Foreign and Chinese media have in the past | | | | |
| reported that the Shenzhen branch of China | | | | Many opinions from analysts worldwide vary |
| Telecom started to blacklist users, block | | | | widely on the subject of whether lowered |
| VoIP calls and threaten to punish anyone | | | | competition in China's VoIP market is right |
| caught attempting to use Skype to maneuver | | | | or not. The mainland has the highest number |
| around imposed blocks. All this was made to | | | | of government imposed VoIP laws. These laws |
| try to stop the sliding revenue in advance of | | | | have come in to question often, concerns have |
| the country's over 100 million internet users | | | | been raised over the mainland's openness with |
| realizing available and free long distance PC | | | | its telecoms market, alongside the |
| based calling services were cheaper. | | | | willingness to adopt new service technologies |
| | | | and software. |
| China made Skypeout internet telephone | | | | |