The Tibet Autonomous Region's Medog, the only Chinese county that has no road link with anywhere else in China, can now get much quicker contact with the outside by wireless cell phone service, which recently became operational in the county.

The mountainous county, bordering India, acquired its first fixed telephone service not long ago. Geographical difficulties have restricted road construction for the county, which is home to more than 10,000 people, including Tibetans and people of Lhoba and Monba ethnic groups.

To promote local social and economic development and local people's living standards, the government gave priority to realizing mobile phone service in the county.

The State-run Tibet Mobile Telecom Co Ltd began to build relay stations in June. A 7-member technician team was sent to the county for equipment installation, climbing over 4,850-meter mountains and trekking through icy areas and sub-tropical forests, all on foot, said company officials.

On the first day of the cell phone service's operation, the company enlisted 54 subscribers, officials said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2004 )