The predecessor of China Telecom is the former General Administration of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. In the 1990s, especially since 1998, in order to cope with the increasingly fierce international competition and enhance the overall strength of China's telecommunications industry, the state has implemented a series of strategic reforms aimed at breaking monopoly and introducing competition. 1998, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications separated postal services from telecommunications, and established China General Post and Telecommunications Bureau to manage the national telecommunications business. On May 6th, 2000, China Telecom Group Company was established after the separation of wireless paging, mobile communication and satellite communication services. In May 2002, according to the State Council's "Telecom System Reform Plan" (Guo Fa [20065438+0] No.36), China Telecom was split and reorganized in the north and south, and nine northern provinces and one city were placed under China Netcom, thus establishing a new China Telecom Group Company.