Though images of rice paddies being tended to by sun-weathered farmers and their oxen might still creep to mind with the mention of 'China', rest assured technology has very definitely arrived. With the exception of the most remote villages of China's vast rural areas, mobile phones and the Internet are everywhere.

Mobile Phones

In the rapidly expanding major cities throughout the country mobile phones are nearly as common as chopsticks, with every family member having their personal set. Markets are swamped with a sea of vendors hocking the latest Motorolas, Samsungs, Nokias and a plethora of lesser-known Chinese brands of varying degrees of quality. Prices vary, and are generally not too far off Western prices. Many things in China are astronomically cheaper than the price tags of the West, however, electronics are usually not one such item. If you're the gambling sort and looking to save some cash, you may want to purchase second-hand phone - most mobile phone markets will have dealers selling these for a much discounted price. They'll often purchase your old one if you're upgrading.

Mobile phone service is largely distributed by two major providers - China Mobile and China Unicom. Should you currently own a phone you can't bear to part with, switching it to service with either of these companies is as simple as buying a new SIM card at any mobile phone market or phone card booth and sticking it in your handset.

Internet

Internet service is provided via a central telecommunication bureau or by visiting any of the too-many-too-count net bars (Internet caf�s). If you are looking to get Net access where you reside in China, it's best to talk to a local, as they'll be able to point you in the right direction dependant on your needs. Dialup access generally comes in all forms, including subscriber, prepaid and pay-as-you-go (billed directly to your land-line). ADSL/High Speed is a little more complicated and a little more expensive than dial-up. You will usually need a passport or ID card and pre-pay for a set number of months. As of March 2006 in China's Northeastern city of Dalian it was 400 RMB for six months of service, plus 100 RMB install fee and 100 RMB modem rental. This works out to a total of 600 RMB for six months, or approximately $12.50 US per month.

If you can't be hassled with getting connected at home, there are no shortage of Net bars to kill a few hours - or, as is often the case with China's youth, days - in. The Net bars range in prices, but often go for 1 or 2 yuan per hour, but you may have to fight for a seat with some rabid Counterstrike player. Net bars are often equipped with chat software, web cams and headphone/mic sets.

It should be noted that the Chinese Internet is heavily firewalled, and while accessing Internet sites in China, you may receive errors that the page can't be accessed or doesn't exist. What the future of site-blocking is in China is anyone's guess but in recent years it hasn't been relaxed as some previously predicted. Many human right's organizations (ie. Amnesty Intl.), some information resources (ie. Wikipedia) and most Chinese language newspapers not from the Mainland are the biggest targets. There are ways around this, and if you will be in China for any extended period of time using your own net connection (not a Net Bar), you can download a copy of Tor/Privoxy from us - along with a guide of how to install it. We are distributing this as a matter of convenience, but we are not in anyway affiliated with the makers of these programs. Nor are we the writers of the guide.

International Calls From China

Intl. Dialing Codes
Australia	00-61
Canada/US	00-1
New Zealand	00-64
UK	00-44

Making an international call should be as simple as buying an international phone card (IP card) from any number of small booths or shops that sell them, then using said card to make your call. This is often not as easy as it is made to sound. Some of the IP cards require being 'bound' to one phone number, which is assumed to be a (very unneeded) security/convenience function. Binding, and unbinding the card can be a real pain in the ass when the instructions are in broken English, if in English at all. Should you be fortunate and get a card that doesn't require binding (if anyone knows how to distinguish, please add it to the wiki), then simply call the IP card number, press the button (often #2) for English, input the ID number and password (and a couple of #'s when required), enter the number you want to call (with country code) and bob's your uncle.

Note: phone cards come in 100 RMB chunks, but this is not the price charged for the card. Generally speaking 100 RMB worth of IP card time will cost you between 30-40 RMB.