A Toyota-4700 satellite emergency communications van (left) is on service for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torch relay.

The van's team is following the torch team to offer 24/7 seamless mobile communications during the mainland leg of the torch relay that began on May 4 in Sanya, Hainan province.

As the only wireless telecommunications sponsor for the Olympics, China Mobile Communications Corporation has purchased 44 of the vans, which are among the most technologically advanced in the world.

The vans feature a satellite communications channel and wireless services such as mobile phone and Internet services as well as fixed telecommunications services .

The global Beijing 2008 torch relay is the longest and largest in Olympic history. The mainland leg covers 113 cities in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions until the Games start on August 8.

To guarantee safety and a high-quality wireless connection, China Mobile has invested a considerable amount of money in technological research and development as well as infrastructure construction and upgrading, says the company. Exact figures are not disclosed.

Besides the satellite communications emergency vans, the Chinese mobile communications giant has built over 1,100 new base stations and upgraded more than 5,100 others, with around 9,000 engineers, technicians and maintenance staff involved.

(China Daily 05/12/2008 page8)