China Telecom said that it will start providing customer services to the clients of China Satellite Communications Corporation (China Satcom), with effective from April 1, 2009.

The announcement forms a part of the restructuring program that the country initiated on February 19, whereby China Telecom merged the telecom infrastructure business of China Satcom, with the exclusion of the lease and sales of satellite transponders.

As a part of the restructuring, the customer service hotline and outlets of China Telecommunications Corporation will start offering services like consultation, inquiry, and charge payment for clients of China Satellite Communications Corporation, which would terminate its hotline and outlets of the related business.

However, the restructuring didn’t specify on the ownership of Satcom'''s 50.02 percent stake in China Satellite Communications or on the number of Satcom employees that would join Telecom as part of the transfer.

Besides, China Satcom's business other than telecom infrastructure will most likely be handed over to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).