The IP card is said to be able to reach as far as the fixed-line phone. An employee from Beijing long-distance call bureau said they don't know how many places that the Beijing Telecom's IP cards can reach, as there were no official statistics. However, as the Internet gradually develops, he believed that more and more places will be covered by the service.
Customers now have to try to dial to see if the card can reach the place they want.
Despite such limitation, IP card sales have remain high, he said. However, Jitong and Unicom were free from the restriction, and Jitong's IP card distribution outlets could be found easily in Beijing. However, although lacking specific statistics, he said the current situation was obviously not good for Unicom. They plan to expand their service to more than 100 cities by the end of the year, but the plan is still under inspection by government authorities. An employee from Unicom, who was unwilling to release his name, said that according to MITT restrictions, the IP phone service can only be carried out via the Internet.