Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on Tuesday it would "compensate" mobile subscribers and Internet users for services that were disrupted by the deadly riot of July 5.

"Telecom companies will compensate users either by reducing fees or extending service terms," the regional government's press office said in a statement late Tuesday night.

Internet connection and mobile text message services were cut in some areas of Urumqi shortly after the July 5 riot. Top Urumqi official Li Zhi said it was aimed to "quench the riot quickly and prevent violence from spreading to other places".

The regional communications administration said Wednesday that telecom services were gradually being restored. "We have reopened online banking, security, recruitment and some e-commerce services," a spokesman with the administration said.

Mobile subscribers in Xinjiang are now able to receive certain text messages including weather forecasts and notices from the local government, he said. "Other services will be restored gradually."

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2009)