Lhasa, February 16; (Xinhua News Agency) -- The number of privately-owned telephones for public use in the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region was more than 320 by the end of last year. More than 95 percent of them were idd, a matter of great convenience for local people. Although it costs nearly ten thousand yuan (about 1,200 us dollars) to install a telephone here, there have been people lining up for it. "Few people asked to install a telephone in the past, but now the number of people who want one is ever growing," said a director of the local post office.

In addition to the improved living conditions, more frequent social or economic activities have also contributed to the rise in the number of telephones. A few years ago, idd was still a novelty for most Tibetans. It is now a fairly common phenomenon, for exchanging information or even having a simple chat with friends or relatives thousands of miles away. A Tibetan opened a gold handicrafts shop in downtown Lhasa, but also had an idd hook up put in his shop to run a public phone business on the side. "The telephone not only brings convenience to passers-by, but also provides me with the lastest information on the international gold and silver markets," the shop owner noted.