With 12 Olympic test events planned next month across China, China Netcom Group is ready to step up and meet the challenge.

Almost three years after it was named the fixed-line telecommunications partner of the Beijing Games, the group set up a command center with trained staff on July 16 to help ensure no glitches at the Olympics.

Meanwhile, the communication facilities at next month's host venues have been set up with above-average service standards, officials said.

"We will promote the Olympic service standards in Beijing and other co-host cities of the 2008 Games," said Senior Vice-President Zhao Jidong of the company.

As an established operator in China, it can provide a variety of services including international and domestic voice, data and video communications by drawing on its industry-leading network capacity and technology.

With its domestic and international fixed-line telecommunications networks and facilities, the group connects the mainland to 260 countries and regions worldwide. It plans to build various servicing and networking platforms to maximize cooperation and guarantee that its services are both comprehensive and available around the clock ahead of next year's Games.

The 2008 Games will be the first Olympics to be broadcast in broadband, affording viewers richer content, a choice of languages and more personalized information services for the utmost convenience irrespective of time or location.

Media personnel, for example, will receive a special integrated circuit card to connect to the Internet at venue-based media centers, obviating the need for them to show any form of ID or remember passwords.

China Netcom is also working to promote advanced technologies to the general public both before and after the Games.

About 20 pieces of Olympics- related technology were launched on Wednesday. They include an Olympic call center, video supervision system, Games administration system, command system and broadband card, which have been designed to meet the needs of people from different fields.