China's Three Main Telcos Add Over 55 Mln 5G Subs in March 2022
Marbridge Consulting, 4/21/22
The listed arms of China's three main telecom operators have announced their subscriber totals for the month of March 2022, including a combined net increase of approximately 55.49 mln 5G package subscribers in China, boosting their combined 5G package subscriber base to nearly 848 mln. As of the end of March, 5G package subscribers accounted for 55.5% and 48.3% of the total mobile subscriber bases of China Telecom and China Mobile, respectively.
China Mobile
China Mobile (0941.HK; 600941.SH) reported a net gain of 5.88 mln mobile subscribers during the month, raising the telecom operator's total mobile user base to 966.64 mln. China Mobile increased its 5G package subscriber base by 41.12 mln to reach a total of 466.55 mln.
China Mobile defines a 5G package customer as a mobile customer who has subscribed to 5G tariff plans. Customers sharing 5G tariff plans without subscription are not included in the operator's 5G subscriber totals.
China Mobile saw a net gain of 3.43 mln fixed-line broadband subscribers (registered accounts) in March, raising its total fixed-line broadband user base to 249.09 mln.
China Telecom
China Telecom (0728.HK; 601728.SH) saw a net increase of 3.15 mln mobile subscribers in March, raising its total to 379.54 mln, of which 210.75 mln were 5G package subscribers. During the month, the operator's 5G package subscriber base rose by 8.61 mln subs.
China Telecom lost 0.14 mln fixed-line telephone subs in March, decreasing its total to 106.52 mln.
China Telecom added 1.26 mln fixed-line broadband subscribers (registered accounts) during the month, increasing its total to 173.11 mln.
China Unicom
China Unicom (0762.HK; 600050.SH) reported that as of the end of March 2022, its aggregate number of "Big Connectivity" subscribers reached 779.00 mln. China Unicom's "Big Connectivity" category is comprised of the operator's combined total aggregate mobile billing subscribers, fixed-line telephone subscribers, fixed-line broadband subscribers, Internet-of-things terminal connections, and networking leased line subscribers. Of this total, 170.66 mln were 5G package subscribers, representing a net gain of 5.76 mln 5G package subscribers during the month, and 312.59 mln were Internet-of-things terminal connections, up 4.91 mln month-on-month.
China Unicom also reported that its number of customers served by virtual 5G industry private network for the month of March was 1,421, up 183 month-on-month. A virtual 5G industry private network is a high-quality private network based on the public 5G network provided to industry customers to satisfy their business and security needs. It is a core carrier for offering differentiated and partially self-operated network services. Virtual 5G industry private network is a key metric in the government's "5G Applications 'Sailing' Action Plan (2021-2023)" and, explains China Unicom, has become a new engine for driving 5G application innovation, enhancing productivity and accelerating digital transformation in vertical industries.
Mobile Subscriber Stats for China's Three Main Carriers (Unit: Mln)
Operator | March 2022 Net Change | March 2022 Month-end Total | % of Combined Installed 5G Sub Base |
---|---|---|---|
China Mobile | 5.88 | 966.64 | |
5G Package Subs | 41.12 | 466.55 | 55.02% |
China Telecom | 3.15 | 379.54 | |
5G Package Subs | 8.61 | 210.75 | 24.85% |
China Unicom | |||
5G Package Subs | 5.76 | 170.66 | 20.13% |
Keywords: national statistics China Telecom China Mobile China Unicom fixed-line Internet broadband telecom mobile subscribers 5G broadband subscribers 0728.HK 0762.HK 0941.HK 600050.SH 601728.SH 600941.SH