China United Telecom (China Unicom) said Monday its number of mobile phone subscribers exceeded 100 million by May 5, becoming the third largest mobile phone network operator in the world after China Mobile and Vodafone.

Among the subscribers, 22.56 million are CDMA mobile phone users.

Wang Jianzhou, board chairman and president of China Unicom, said the fast growth in the number of subscribers during the past decade is attributable to the company's efforts to provide advanced technology and good services for its customers.

The State-owned company, which was set up a decade ago to breakthe monopoly of China Mobile over the country's mobile telecommunications market, has established the country's second GSM-based mobile telecommunications network covering almost every part of the Chinese mainland. So is its CDMA network.

The telecom operator now boasts a huge GSM network that covers 328 regions and cities in the mainland and opened roaming service in 75 foreign countries and regions.

By Dec. 1, 2003, China Unicom had registered 72 million GSM users.

The company devoted its recent efforts to the study of GSM1X, adual-band technology that shares data and voice service between GSM and CDMA users.

The network has passed primary tests, and GSM1X phones will be available later this year.

An official with the Ministry of Information Industry said the fast development of China Unicom amid fierce competition is one ofthe achievements of China has made in reforming its telecommunications sector.