Communication in Chongqing

Telephone

Home telephones are billed monthly for local calls, rental and for overseas calls. Telephone charges can be paid in almost all the convenient stores, banks, post offices or by mail. If a telephone bill is not paid before the due date, it must be paid direct to the closest telephone company office. Make sure you are issued with a receipt. Fixed telephone line services in Chongqing are available through China Netcom. The Communications Authority of China (CAT) controls the international communications gateway. Except for "dial back", there are no alternative international suppliers at this time.If you plan to stay for a long period (more than one year), you may wish to subscribe to your own telephone line directly from the telephone company. You will probably be able to do this more easily if you rent an individual owned condominium.

There are IC card phone booths and special public phones at roadside shops. International and national long-distance calls can be made using IC cards. IC cards can be bought in shopping centers, hotels and inns.

Mobile phone

Mobile phones are very popular in Chongqing Compare to other countries; here people buy their mobile phones for full price. Then they have the choice between two options: 1) Subscribe to China Mobile line. In this case you will receive your bills every month. International calls service can be included on request.

2) You can also choose to use prepaid cards system. You will need first buy a SIM card and then buy prepaid mobile phone card. You can find then in a lot of different location as supermarkets, convenient stores, post offices etc.

Directory assistance

Chongqing Metropolitan Area Dial 114 Directory Assistance also provides information on changed numbers as well as addresses and directions. English services are unavailable.

Internet

Internet services in Chongqing continue to improve. Most of the properties have access to ADSL or broadband. You should negotiate for Internet installation with your landlord before you move in your new home, since usually it is not included in the rent.Currently, Internet service providers offer free installations while you have to pay for the connection monthly, quarterly or annually. Although English service is very limited, try to get more information about their services online. You need to present a copy of your passport and a copy of you bank account information for application.we will negotiate for you the installation of ADSL or broadband in your leasing contract for you, and provide you any assistance service in case you meet some technical problem.

Be aware that making international calls directly is extremely expensive in China . Nevertheless, there are some alternatives that help you reduce your cost considerably. The cheapest way is to make Internet calls by using Internet Calling Cards (e.g. RMB 0.32/min to North American), such as Li Tong CE card ( 立通 CE? or Net phone card. Those cards are available in convenient stores all over the city and English instructions can be found on the back of cards. You can also use IP cards offered by China Telecom or China Unicom to make overseas calls on your phone. The rate varies by different period of time as well as the destinations. Normally, it is RMB0.38~0.72/6 sec. You can find IP cards in most of the convenient stores, supermarkets and post offices etc. One IP Card is generally sold RMB 100, but the selling price of most IP cards is much lower than their par value.

Domestic calls & Internet calls

To make Internet calls, you need a multimedia computer with sound chips, speakers and a microphone. You also need to visit the service website and download necessary software. For instance, if you are using the Li Tong CE card, you will need to visit www.chinapc2phone.com and follow the instructions.