This Day, That Year

Item from Jan 20, 1993, in China Daily: An ebullient girl poses at a public telephone kiosk after her hometown, Ningqiang county in Shaanxi province, was the first in Northwest China to introduce an automation network, which offers national and international direct dialing.

Communication in the digital age has reached levels of ease and convenience unimaginable just a few decades ago.

Smartphones allow users to go online and access social networking apps offering text, voice and video messaging services, one-to-one or in group chats, all without additional charges.