Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Overview — Transport, Post and Telecommunications (V)
Section 5: Telecommunications. In 1911 (3rd year of Xuantong, Qing Dynasty), the Ministry of Posts and Communications extended a telegraph line from Yuanzhou (present-day Zhijiang) to Fenghuang — the beginning of telecommunications in the prefecture. During the Republic of China period, county governments set up their own wireless stations to transmit government and military orders. In February 1924 (13th year of the Republic), Qiangcheng County (present-day Jishou City), with donations from wealthy merchants and baojia conscription...
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section 5 Telecommunications
In the third year of Xuantong of the Qing Dynasty (1911), the Ministry of Posts and Communications extended a telegraph circuit from Yuanzhou (present-day Zhijiang) to Fenghuang, which was the beginning of telecommunications in the prefecture. During the Republic of China period, each county government set up its own wireless radio station to transmit government and military orders. In February of the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924), Qiangcheng County (present-day Jishou City), with donations from wealthy merchants and with baojia units assigning laborers and poles, erected a telephone line from Qiangcheng to Hesi Township (present-day Hexi Town, Jishou City), the first rural telephone line in the prefecture. By the 33rd year of the Republic of China (1944), except for Baojing, long-distance lines in all other counties of the prefecture had been completed and could carry calls; when long-distance circuits were first built, they were all used for both voice and telegraph. In the 37th year of the Republic of China, the prefecture had long-distance circuits such as Yuanling to Suoli (present-day Jishou), Yongsui (present-day Huayuan) to Chadong, Luxi to Yuanling, Yongshun to Wangcun, and Yongshun to Xiushan. Stations in Suoli, Qiangcheng, Fenghuang, Luxi, Yongsui and Yongshun were equipped with switching equipment, with a total of 6 switchboards and a capacity of 40 lines (excluding Yongshun). During the Republic of China period, the prefecture had civil radio stations run by the Ministry of Communications and radio stations run by county governments. In the 33rd year of the Republic of China, except for the Baojing station, all counties in the prefecture had launched wired telegraph services and were in communication with neighboring provinces.
After the founding of New China, the prefecture's telecommunications network gradually developed, and communication outlets spread across both urban and rural areas.
Long-distance lines. In 1952, the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Region provided its own communication facilities and erected communication lines. In 1955, local telecommunications were placed under the management of the postal and telecommunications departments. In 1968, the state first-class trunk line 304 ran from Yuanling through the prefecture into Sichuan, with a total length of 101.11 pole-kilometers. In May 1969, construction began on the state first-class trunk line 306 from Mayang to Daxing, Tongren, Guizhou, passing through Fenghuang County in the prefecture; it was completed in October of that year, with a total length of 58.29 pole-kilometers. Long-distance communication in the prefecture long used a single open-wire transmission method. In 1992, trunk lines developed large-capacity optical fiber digital communication. The optical fiber lines in the prefecture ran south from Fenghuang to Jishou, Huayuan, Baojing and Yongshun, and also connected the optical fiber lines from Jishou to Guzhang and from Yongshun to Longshan. In 1993, a 140M/S large-capacity optical fiber digital communication cable was erected, with a total length of 280 kilometers, forming a multifunctional digital transmission communication network including branch offices along the route. In 1995, the prefecture's long-distance lines totaled 540.12 pole-kilometers, optical fiber lines totaled 343.37 sheath-kilometers, and there were 12,873 cement poles.
Long-distance circuits. In 1954, a dead-end circuit was installed on the Yuanling-Jishou line, with carrier equipment installed at the Yuanling end and a receiver installed in Jishou. In 1957, a SAT three-channel carrier machine was installed from Jishou to Changsha, and a BBO three-channel carrier was installed from Jishou to Yongshun. In 1971, the prefecture postal and telecommunications bureau successfully trial-produced an iron three-channel carrier machine and put it into use on the Jishou-Fenghuang circuit. In May 1974, simple semi-automatic telephone service was opened from Jishou to Changsha, with 3 circuits, allowing Jishou to dial Changsha subscribers directly. In 1977, all counties in the prefecture achieved carrierization. In 1987, DD14 long-distance semi-automatic opposite-end equipment was installed from Jishou to Changsha, with 5 incoming and outgoing circuits, enabling Jishou long-distance calls to be dialed directly to all parts of the country. In 1988, all counties installed twelve-channel carriers. In 1993, a 312-C twelve-channel carrier was newly installed from Jishou to Changsha, and the number of circuits from Jishou to Changsha increased to 5. In 1995, the prefecture's carrier equipment increased to 7 terminals, with a total capacity of 72 circuits and 24 circuits actually occupied. Long-distance circuits formed a communication network extending in all directions, and long-distance communication could reach both domestic and foreign destinations.
Wireless radio stations. In 1950, the Hunan Provincial Telecommunications Command Bureau successively opened county wireless radio stations such as Yongshun to Yuanling, Baojing to Yuanling, Longshan to Yuanling, Yongshun to Baojing, and Yongshun to Longshan. After wired telegraph service was opened, county radio stations were successively discontinued. From January 1974, the wireless radio stations from the prefecture seat Jishou to each county were changed to open stations, and by 1995 there had still been little change.
Wired telegraph. In 1954, Jishou's telegraph circuit to other places included one manual machine circuit to Yuanling, and later a wired telegraph network centered on Jishou gradually took shape. In 1983, all counties achieved telex-based telegraph communication. In 1988, a new business carrier circuit from Jishou to Changsha was opened, and all counties and cities entered the national automatic telegraph switching network.
Local telephone lines and equipment. In January 1953, Jishou county town first opened local telephone service. In 1955, counties successively opened urban telephone service. In January 1977, the Huayuan County Postal and Telecommunications Bureau completed and put into operation a 200-line quasi-electronic switchboard, the beginning of the use of automatic switchboards in the prefecture's local telephone network. In June 1991, the prefecture achieved local telephone automation. In 1994, the prefecture achieved program-controlled local telephone service. By 1995, the prefecture had 61,094 central program-controlled local telephone lines and 42,914 installed telephone sets, of which 34,354 were residential telephones.
Rural telephone. In 1955, local telecommunications were transferred to the management of the postal and telecommunications bureau, and the original local inter-county lines were repaired and upgraded. By 1958, every commune in the prefecture had telephone service. In 1977, the coverage rate of rural telephone calls in the prefecture reached 95%. After the household contract responsibility system was implemented, by 1995, the prefecture's 218 townships and towns had 38,600 township-run switchboard lines, with 7,886 subscribing households, of which 5,396 were residential telephones.
Telecommunications. On October 24, 1998, under the unified deployment of the state, the prefecture postal and telecommunications bureau implemented the separation of postal and telecommunications operations, and the prefecture telecommunications bureau was established. On July 19, 1999, the pace of telecommunications reform further accelerated, mobile services were separated from telecommunications, and the prefecture mobile branch company was established. On September 28, 2000, in order to promote the separation of government functions from enterprise management in telecommunications enterprises and establish a modern enterprise system, the prefecture telecommunications bureau was restructured into the prefecture telecommunications branch company. On December 20, 2000, in order to improve the operational efficiency of telecommunications enterprises and actively advance the socialization process of telecommunications ancillary and auxiliary businesses, the prefecture telecommunications branch company, in accordance with the unified arrangements of China Telecom Group Corporation, implemented the separation of main and ancillary businesses and of main and auxiliary businesses, and established the prefecture telecommunications industrial company.
Since the "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period, telecommunications enterprises in the prefecture have actively explored and worked hard, bringing about rapid changes in the prefecture's communications landscape. By the end of 2000, the prefecture had formed a new telecommunications pattern combining optical cable transmission, digital switching, and both wired and wireless systems. A total of 2,543 kilometers of optical cable had been built across the prefecture, forming a large ring optical cable transmission network for the whole prefecture and smaller ring optical cable transmission networks for each county. Optical cable reached 192 townships and some administrative villages throughout the prefecture; there were 7,130 long-distance outgoing circuits, 10 wireless access base stations achieving seamless signal coverage; 161 data communication ports, 25 image communication system stations, 2 information communication platforms, and 18 integrated access optical nodes; total telephone exchange capacity reached 248,700 lines, with a total of 186,510 telephone subscribers; a broadband internet system was built, with 12,000 internet users; 115 rural telephone exchange points were built, with rural telephone exchange capacity of 87,630 lines and 64,000 rural telephone subscribers; the urban telephone penetration rate was 68.8%, and the rural telephone penetration rate was 9.9%; all 218 townships had telephone access, and 82% of villages had telephone access.
After 2001, competition in the prefecture's telecommunications market became fierce. China Netcom and China Tietong, following China Mobile and China Unicom, successively joined the ranks of competitors, forming a new competitive landscape in which four communications companies—Mobile, Unicom, Tietong, and Netcom—competed with telecommunications enterprises to seize a limited communications market. In 2001, the Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture Telecommunications Branch gradually grew and strove to take the initiative while continuously responding to competition. That year, 8 broadband access communities were successfully established in the Jishou area, with cumulative business revenue of 125 million yuan, accounting for 100.8% of the annual plan; communications investment of 57.8825 million yuan was completed, mainly for projects such as data broadband access engineering, local network billing and accounting system engineering, and rural telephone line expansion and renovation engineering; 20,400 lines were added or expanded for rural telephone program-controlled switches; all 2,663 administrative villages in the prefecture achieved wired and wireless network signal coverage, with 2,613 administrative villages having telephone access, a telephone access rate of 98.10%; rural telephone subscribers reached 66,823, with a rural telephone penetration rate of 3.1%; 15,499 main lines were activated during the year, with a net increase of 18,993 main line subscribers, bringing the total to 28,640; broadband internet users reached 20,900; there were 471 internet cafes in the prefecture, 107 enterprises online, and 41 government entities online.
In 2003, telecommunications enterprises in the prefecture completed cumulative business revenue of 120 million yuan, an increase of 6% over 2002; main lines reached 200,000 by the end of the period; PHS activations completed 12,000 lines; broadband users increased by 8,100. Telecommunications enterprises at all levels in the prefecture were rated as advanced units in civilized construction at or above the prefecture level, among which the prefecture branch headquarters, Huayuan County Bureau, and Luxi County Bureau were honored with the title of Advanced Units in Civilized Construction at the Hunan provincial level.
In 2005, revenue of 160 million yuan was completed; main line activations increased by 15,000 net, PHS activations completed 12,000 lines, and broadband users increased by 8,000; fixed telephone subscribers in the prefecture reached 250,000 by the end of the period; construction investment of 50 million yuan was completed for the year; network operation and maintenance quality all met standards. Luxi County Branch was rated as a provincial A-level taxpaying enterprise, and Huayuan and Baojing were rated as prefecture-level A-level taxpaying enterprises.
Mobile. The Prefecture Mobile Communications Branch is a communications enterprise separated from telecommunications enterprises on July 19, 1999. It is a branch of China Mobile Communications Group Corporation, located on Tuanjie West Road in Jishou City. It mainly operates mobile telephone, data, TP telephone, and multimedia services as well as information services related to the above businesses, and is a rapidly rising new force in the communications industry of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. Mobile communications in the prefecture started in the mid-"Eighth Five-Year Plan" period and rose in the late "Ninth Five-Year Plan" period. On September 28, 1993, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture took the lead in opening analog mobile telephone service at the border of the four provinces of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou; in early 1996, GSM digital mobile telephone service was opened. As of April 20, 2001, mobile users in the prefecture approached the 80,000 mark. One GSM digital switching office and 62 digital mobile base stations were built. The digital mobile telephone network covered all cities at and above the county level in the prefecture, some tourist attractions, and 56 large rural market towns, with urban areas basically achieving seamless signal coverage; the GSM digital mobile communications network, beginning to take shape, achieved automatic roaming with 67 countries and regions worldwide. In 2005, cumulative net increase of telephone users reached 63,400, completing 204.61% of the annual challenge target, ranking first in the province; annual operating revenue of 220 million yuan was completed, accounting for 117.95% of the task, ranking second in the province; total business volume reached 552.58 million yuan; the task of building 255 new village-access base stations was completed (total base stations reaching 498), achieving mobile communications signal coverage for 408 administrative villages and 81 townships, with the construction task volume accounting for about one-fourth of the province, ranking first in the province. Mobile telephones entered ordinary households and became a mass communications tool.
Unicom. China Unicom Jishou Branch is a branch of China Unicom Hunan Branch in the Xiangxi region. Since preparations began in April 2000 and operations started in October of that year, business volume and business revenue have grown at annual rates of 160% and 59% respectively, with all businesses developing by leaps and bounds. By 2005, effective coverage had been achieved for all urban areas, most townships, areas along national highways and railways, and major tourist scenic areas throughout the prefecture. Among these, the GSM130 network capacity reached over 150,000 lines, and the CDMA133 network capacity was about 100,000 lines, fully capable of meeting current user communications needs. That year's total business volume was 157.32 million yuan.
Tietong. China Tietong Xiangxi Branch is a branch established by China Tietong Hunan Branch within the prefecture. It can provide the public with basic telecommunications services and value-added telecommunications services such as long-distance telephone, local telephone, nationwide fax, telegraph, public data transmission, network resource leasing, and internet access; it can also provide software development, technical consulting, system integration, and other services related to communications and information, and has achieved direct network interconnection with Telecom, Mobile, and Unicom. Since officially commencing operations in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture in January 2002, business volume and business revenue growth have doubled year after year. In 2005, total business volume was 10.3 million yuan.
A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves; I'll set my cloud-white sail and cross the sea which raves. People of all ethnic groups in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture firmly believe: with the high attention of Party committees and people's governments at all levels, the strong support of all sectors of society and the broad masses of users, and the arduous efforts of all communications enterprises, the telecommunications cause of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture will surely have an even brighter tomorrow.