Carrier eyes rich rural harvest

China Telecommunications Corp, the country's third-largest telecom carrier by subscribers, will devote more resources to expanding retail channels in the countryside.

The move comes as online sales of handsets hit a ceiling, and is part of the State-owned company's efforts to catch up with industry leader China Mobile Communications Corp.

Liu Ping, general manager of China Telecom's marketing department, said on Thursday the company will launch a three-year plan to expand its presence in the countryside, where many residents are still use 3G - or even 2G-enabled handsets.