BEIJING -- China's telecommunications sector revenue grew 10.1 percent in the first half, surpassing that of GDP for the first time since 2007, a senior official said Thursday.

"A lasting sound macro economy creates a favorable environment for rapid growth in the telecommunications sector." Zhang Feng, director of the telecom development department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said at a press conference.

Mobile phones users increased by 6.15 million and broadband Internet users by 1.55 million in the first half, he said.

He said Chinese people were more willing to spend on telecommunications services as incomes of urban and rural residents increased 7.5 percent and 13.7 percent respectively in the first six months from the same period last year.

Upgraded information network infrastructure and transition to an integrated information service industry had also contributed to the growth in revenue, Zhang said.

Telecommunications providers invested 143.1 billion yuan ($22.2 billion) in upgrading infrastructures in the first half, an increase of 56.5 percent year-on-year, according to MIIT figures.