China Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: December 2023

Report Pages: 135

Analyst: Stephen Marshall

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Summary
Table Of Contents

China telecom market resurgence expected to follow the long-awaited easing of Covid-19 lockdowns

Housing the world’s largest population, China is also home to the world's largest telecoms markets for fixed-line telephony, VoIP telephony, and mobile – at least in terms of the total number of subscribers. Penetration rates in each segment are more modest, however, and therefore there is still significant opportunity for further growth.

China has three integrated telcos – China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom – which provide a semblance of competition across the vast market. But the country’s telecoms sector is perhaps best characterised by the dominant role the central government plays in planning where to invest in infrastructure as well as in research to keep China at the forefront of the industry. Despite the challenges in Western markets faced by China’s major telecom equipment manufacturers (Huawei and ZTE) as well as the offshore subsidiaries of its telcos, China is already working on the development of 6G with the goal of securing lucrative patents as well as influencing the coming standards process.

China Mobile dominates the mobile market with 58% market share, although that has been slowly declining over the years as China Telecom has started to pick up the pace. The latter is also performing well in the fast-growing fixed broadband market, to the point where that segment produces twice as much revenue for the telco as does mobile broadband. With fixed broadband penetration doubling in the last seven years to reach 39% in 2022, China now also has the largest number of broadband connections in the world. The vast majority of these are fibre as a result of aggressive deployment programs by both China Telecom and China Unicom in a bid to offset the decline in the number of fixed-line telephony subscribers. Such is the success of their initiatives that fixed-line teledensity has stabilised at 12.7%, and the fixed segment’s share of overall telecom sector revenue has actually increased during the last decade to more than one third of the total.

In the mobile segment, growth has been on a much slower trajectory of late, partly due to the relative maturity and saturation of the market in some areas, but also because of the Covid-19 crisis putting a heavy brake on the mobile broadband market in particular. Renewed growth is likely to occur following the easing of lockdowns that will allow greater mobility outside of the home, as well as the wider promotion of 5G handsets and services as the telcos continue with their rollout plans.

This report update includes telcos’ operating data and CAICT industry data to March 2022; Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses; an assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector; and other recent market developments.

Key Developments

China Telecom Americas and China Unicom Americas both forced by the FCC to shut operations down in the US on the back of security concerns.
The 15,000km Peace cable linking China to Europe and Africa lands in Kenya.
Dr Peng Group, the majority-owner of the US-Hong Kong undersea cable venture, announces its withdrawal from the project, after the DoJ denies authorisation.
GalaxySpace launches the first of China’s proposed ‘mega-constellation’ of LEO satellites.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, China Broadcasting Network, China Tower, CITIC Networks, GalaxySpace. China Satcom, China Direct Broadcast Satellite.

Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Economic considerations and responses
Subscribers
Infrastructure

Telecommunications market
Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority

Ministry of Information Industry (MII)
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)
China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC)

Government policies

Private investment in state-controlled industries
Broadband China

Fixed-line developments

Licensing
Interconnect
Universal Service Obligation (USO)

Mobile network developments

Licensing
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Roaming

Mobile market

Mobile broadband
Mobile infrastructure

6G
5G
4G/LTE
3G
GSM

Major mobile operators

China Mobile
China Telecom
China Unicom
MVNOs

Fixed-line broadband market

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

China Telecom
China Unicom
China Mobile

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fixed wireless

Digital economy
Fixed network market

Major network operators

China Telecom
China Unicom
China Mobile

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network

China Tower
CITIC Networks

International infrastructure

Terrestrial and submarine cable infrastructure
Satellite infrastructure

Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Change in the market share of revenue by service – 2014 – 2021
Table 3 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 4 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 5 – Growth in mobile broadband traffic – 2016 – 2022
Table 6 – Growth in average mobile broadband traffic – 2013 – 2022
Table 7 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers by operator (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 8 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2022
Table 9 – Development of China Mobile’s financial data (RMB billion) – 2012 – 2022
Table 10 – Development of China Mobile’s annualised ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Table 11 – Growth in the number of China Mobile’s SMS traffic – 2012 – 2022
Table 12 – Growth in the number of China Mobile’s mobile broadband traffic – 2012 – 2022
Table 13 – Growth in the number of China Telecom’s mobile service revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 14 – Growth in the number of China Telecom’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Table 15 – Growth in the number of China Unicom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 16 – Change in China Unicom’s mobile revenue – 2013 – 2022
Table 17 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 18 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Table 19 – Growth in the number of China Telecom’s fixed broadband subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 20 – Growth in the number of China Unicom’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 21 – Growth in the number of China Mobile’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Table 22 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 23 – Decline in the number of fixed-lines in service and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 24 – Development of China Telecom’s financial data (RMB billion) – 2012 – 2022
Table 25 – China Telecom revenue by type (RMB billion) – 2015 – 2020
Table 26 – Change in the number of China Telecom’s fixed-line and fixed broadband subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 27 – Change in the number of China Unicom’s fixed-line subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 28 – Development of China Unicom’s financial data (RMB billion) – 2012 – 2022
Table 29 – Growth of international internet bandwidth – 2012 – 2020
Table 30 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and annual change – 1996 – 2011
Table 31 – Historic - China Telecom mobile ARPU – 2008 – 2011
Table 32 – Historic - China Unicom 2G and 3G/4G subscribers (million) – 2002 – 2015
Table 33 – Historic - China Telecom - fixed broadband subscribers – 2003 – 2011
Table 34 – Historic - Broadband access ports, proportion of FttP ports – 2010 – 2016
Table 35 – Historic - Development of China Mobile’s annualised ARPU – 2008 – 2011
Table 36 – Historic - Growth in the number of China Mobile’s mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 37 – Historic - Growth in the number of China Telecom’s mobile subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 38 – Historic - China Telecom’s mobile 3G subscribers – 2009 – 2015
Table 39 – Historic - Growth in the number of China Unicom’s mobile subscribers – 2002 – 2011
Table 40 – Historic - Development of China Unicom’s mobile ARPU (RMB/month) – 2008 – 2011
Table 41 – Historic - Growth in the number of China Unicom’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 42 – Historic - Development of China Telecom’s financial data (RMB billion) – 2008 – 2011
Table 43 – Historic - Change in the number of China Telecom’s fixed-line and fixed broadband subscribers (million) – 2008 – 2011
Table 44 – Historic - Change in the number of China Telecom’s fixed broadband ARPU – 2008 – 2011
Table 45 – Historic - Development of China Unicom’s financial data (RMB billion) – 2008 – 2011
Table 46 – Historic - Change in the number of China Unicom’s fixed-line subscribers – 2008 – 2011
Table 47 – Historic - Growth of international internet bandwidth – 2007 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Asia – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Northern Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Northern Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Change in the market share of revenue by service – 2014 – 2021
Chart 9 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 10 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 11 – Growth in mobile broadband traffic – 2016 – 2022
Chart 12 – Growth in average mobile broadband traffic – 2013 – 2022
Chart 13 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2022
Chart 14 – Change in the market share of mobile subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2022
Chart 15 – Development of China Mobile’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 16 – Development of China Mobile’s annualised ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 17 – Growth in the number of China Mobile’s SMS traffic – 2012 – 2022
Chart 18 – Growth in the number of China Mobile’s mobile broadband traffic – 2012 – 2022
Chart 19 – Growth in the number of China Telecom’s mobile service revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 20 – Growth in the number of China Telecom’s mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 21 – Growth in the number of China Unicom’s mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 22 – Change in China Unicom’s mobile revenue – 2013 – 2022
Chart 23 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Chart 25 – Growth in the number of China Telecom’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 26 – Growth in the number of China Unicom’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 27 – Growth in the number of China Mobile’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2015 – 2022
Chart 28 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Chart 29 – Decline in the number of fixed-lines in service and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 30 – Development of China Telecom’s financial data (RMB billion) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 31 – China Telecom revenue by type – 2015 – 2020
Chart 32 – Change in the number of China Telecom’s fixed-line and fixed broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 33 – Change in the number of China Unicom’s fixed-line subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 34 – Development of China Unicom’s financial data – 2012 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Asia
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Asia – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Asia – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Asia – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Regional/international fibre optic cable networks
Exhibit 7 – Selected Chinese satellite service providers and satellites
Exhibit 8 – China Satcom satellite fleet

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China Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

China telecom market resurgence expected to follow the long-awaited easing of Covid-19 lockdowns

Key Developments

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Asia market comparison

Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital economy

Fixed network market

Telecommunications infrastructure

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views