Number of customers signing up for 3G Internet services skyrocket

China Telecom Corp Ltd, the nation's smallest mobile network carrier by subscribers, posted a 17.4 percent rise in net profit for 2013 as it gained subscribers of its third-generation (3G) services.

Profit rose to 17.5 billion yuan ($2.85 billion), China Telecom said at a news conference in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Operating revenues rose to a record 321.6 billion yuan, an annual 13.6 percent increase.