China | Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki

China Unicom and China Telecom were given licenses for 1800 MHz 4G FDD-LTE which are much more compatible with most 4G phone models worldwide and are now ... PrepaidDataSIMCardWiki Explore MainPage Discuss AllPages Community InteractiveMaps RecentBlogPosts FANDOM Games Anime Movies TV Video Wikis ExploreWikis CommunityCentral StartaWiki Register Don'thaveanaccount? SignIn Advertisement in: Asia,Country,CDMA,3/17 China Edit Editsource History Talk(0) NationalAnthem ThePeople’sRepublicofChinaisaveryspecialcountrytobuyalocalSIMcard.Althoughalmosteverymobiledeviceisproducedherenowadays,buyingaSIMcardcanbequitecomplicated,especiallyasveryfewpeopleunderstandorspeakEnglishandyou'llfacesomerestrictions. Contents 1Basics 1.1Networks 1.2Frequencies,compatibilityandcoverage 1.3Coverage 1.4Startingup 1.5Realnameregistrationandfacescan 1.6Regionalorganization 1.7BillingCycle 1.8Toppingup 1.9Furtherparticularities 1.10Suspendingyourplan 1.11IDDcalls 1.12Censorship 2ChinaMobile(中国移动) 2.1Availability 2.2Dataplans 2.3Moreinfo 3ChinaMobileHongKong(forroaminginChina) 3.1Regulations 3.2Restrictions 3.3VoiceanddataSIMcards 3.4Data-onlySIMcard 3.5Toppingup 3.6Onlineaccountmanagement 3.7Moreinfo 4ChinaUnicom(中国联通) 4.1WO 4.25GPlan 4.34GDataKingPlan(流量王套餐) 4.4"IceGod"(HighUsage)Plan(冰神套餐) 4.54GData-only/WebSurfingPass(4G上网卡) 4.63GSOLUTIONS 4.7Lyvcom 4.8SIMEasy 4.9Moreinfo 4.10Airalo 5ChinaUnicomHongKong(forroaminginChina) 5.1HongKongoffers 5.2Moreinfo 6ChinaTelecom(中国电信) 6.1Network 6.2Start-upandavailability 6.3Low-usagePlan(随心卡) 6.4DailyRate"KingSIM"(大王卡) 6.5"New"MonthlyPlans(新魔都系列套餐) 6.6Moreinfo 7RoamingSIMcardsfromHongKong 8RoamingSIMcardsfromTaiwan 9RoamingSIMcardsfromabroad 9.1TravelSIMandAirBalticCard 9.2TravelSIMAsia 9.3SIM2Fly 9.4eSIM:MySIM 9.5Otheroptions 10Purchasing/RentingaPhoneorPortableWiFiwithdataSIM 10.1UCOMMobile 10.2KlookPortableWiFiRentalsfortravellerscomingfromHongKongorTaiwan 10.3LoyoMobile Basics[] ThisarticleappliesonlytomainlandChinaanddoesn’trefertothe"specialadministrationregions"ofHongKongandMacau,whereotherlegislationappliesandotherprovidersoperate(seeHongKongandMacauchapters). Networks[] Chinahasthreenationalnetworks: ChinaMobile(中国移动) ChinaUnicom(中国联通) ChinaTelecom(中国电信) Allthreearestate-(or“people's-“)ownedandcontrolled.ChinaMobileisthelargestmobileprovideroftheworldwithnear925millioncustomersandalmost60%shareofthemarket,followedbyChinaUnicomwith20%andChinaTelecomwith20%marketshare. Afourthnetwork,ChinaBroadcastingNetwork(中国广电),iscurrentlybuildinga5GnetworkthatwillbesharedwithChinaMobile. Frequencies,compatibilityandcoverage[] Network 2G/GPRS 3G/UMTS 4G/LTE China Mobile 900,1800MHz TD-SCDMA(discontinued) FD-LTE:(900),1800MHz-seebelow TD-LTE:1900,2000,2300,2500,2600MHz Bands:3,(8),(34),38,39,40,41 China Unicom 900,1800MHz(mostlydiscontinued) 900,2100MHz Band:1,8 FD-LTE:(900),1800,2100MHz TD-LTE:(2600MHz) Bands:1,3,(8,41) China Telecom CDMA BC0(mostlyvoice-only) EVDO BC0(mostlydiscontinued) FD-LTE:850,1800,2100MHz TD-LTE:(2600MHz) Bands:1,3,5,(41) AllnumbersandbandsinitalicsarenotcompatiblewithmostGSM-baseddevicessoldoutsideChina.Allfrequenciesin()arerareandlimitedtoafewlocations. ChinaTelecomusesaCDMAnetworkwhichisincompatiblewithallGSM-phonespurchasedoutsideChina.Onlycertain"global"CDMAdevicescanadapttotheirfrequencies(formoredetailsseeChinaTelecomsectionbelow).  2G:ChinaMobile’sandChinaUnicom’s2G(uptoEDGEspeed)arecompatiblewithcommonGSM/2Gphones(althoughUS-modelsneedquad-band).  3G:ChinaMobile’s3GserviceisbasedonaweirdChinese-madeTD-SCDMAstandard,whichunfortunatelyisnotcompatiblewithanyphonesfromoutsideChina.Again,ifyoubroughtyourownphonefromoutsideChina,youwillnotbeabletouse3GonChinaMobile’sNetwork.  OnlyChinaUnicom’s3Gnetworkiscompatiblewithanyunlockedphonethatsupports2100MHz3G,whichcoversmostmodernsmartphonesinuptoHSPA+speed(max.21.1Mbit/s). 4G/LTE:LTEstartedin2013onChinaMobileasTDD-LTEon1900,2300and2500MHz,whichisnowstartingtobeusedinothercountriestoo.CertainphonesliketheiPhones6/7areusableonChinaMobile'sTDD-LTE4Gnetwork.ChinaUnicomandChinaTelecomweregivenlicensesfor1800MHz4GFDD-LTEwhicharemuchmorecompatiblewithmost4Gphonemodelsworldwideandarenowalreadyusedinmostcities. Thereasonsforthisfrequencymess-uparedescribedindetailbyMichaelJennings:here(Hisstoryisstillaccurate,butneedsanupdate:Inearly2014ChinaMobileteamedupwithAppleandsincethenthebiggestoperatoroftheworldsellstheiPhoneatlast). ChinaMobile'sLTEisbasedonTD-LTE(bands38-40)whichisusedinveryfewregionsoftheworldandthereforenotcompatibletomanydevices.In2017firstantennaswithusualLTEband3on1800MHzwereemployedattouristareasliketheBejingairportandtowncentre,butremainlimitedtothesefewspots.In2019,ChinaMobliewasfinallygivenlicensestouseFDD-LTE,Band3(1800MHz)andBand8(900MHz)byrefarmingGSMfrequency,butperformanceonFDD-LTEisheavilyaffectedbynetworkcongestion,andcoverageisnotasextensiveasTDD-LTE. In2014China'sregulatorreleasedMVNOlicencestodifferentcompanies.MiMobile(小米移动电话卡)bymanufacturerXiaomistartedinSeptember2015bothonChinaUnicomandChinaTelecom.SIMcardsareonlyavailableonlinetobesenttoaChineseaddressandregistrationcanbemadeonlywithChineseIDs.That'swhytheyaren'tlisted(moreinfoinChinesehere). Coverage[] ChinaMobilehasthebestcoverageinthecountry,coveringthewholenationin2G.ButyouwillgetitonlyinuptoEDGEspeed(aroundamax.of320Kbps).Thisissufficientforphonecallsandtextsandbasicdatalike:maps,WAPsites,instantmessaging.NotholdingaphonewithTDD-LTE,ChinaMobile's2GisprettyuselessformobileinternetorVoIPcalls,anditsFDD-LTEcoverageisincompleteandslowevenwhereitisavailable.It'sbettertogowithChinaUnicomon3G/4G,whichstillhasreasonablecoverage,orChinaTelecomon4Gonly. Startingup[] WhileithasbecomemoredifficulttogetalocalSIMcardrecently,theprocessisstillrelativelypainless,butslow.WithrecentgovernmentcrackdownsonunofficialsalesofSIMs,itisgenerallynolongerpossibleforanon-citizentobuyaSIMcardfromastreetvendor;youwillhavetogotoanofficialstore.BesuretohaveyourpassportandsomethingshowingyouraddressinChina,likeahoteladdresscardoryourtemporaryresidenceregistrationform. ThequickestwayistoshowthemtheChinesenameofoneoftheplansbelowandpointatyourphone.Youshouldgetthatplanorsomethingclosetoit.Don’texpectanybodytospeakEnglishinthesmallertowns,butinthebigcities,storesintouristareasorclosetouniversitieswillhaveatleastoneEnglishspeaker.StoresattheairportwilldefinitelyhaveEnglishspeakers,butwillalsochargemoreandofferhigher-pricedserviceplansthanastoreinthecityortownproper. WhileyoumayaskaChineseto'borrow'hisIDcardtogetaSIMonlineorfromastreetvendortoskiptheabove,youshouldknowthatbehindthestrictidentificationrequirementistotracksomeonedownincaseof'politicallyincorrect'useofthecellphone,andsigningupinsuchawayisinitselfacriminaloffense. Start-uppricesfortheSIMcardscanbeveryvariabledependingonthenumber.Whilea8inyournumbermeansgoodluckandanextrasurcharge,a4incontrastisseenasbadluckandtheSIMwillbediscounted.Sticktothestandardor"unlucky"numbers;forChinaUnicom,atleast,terminatingaplanwitha"luckynumber"attachedinthefirstmonthincursanunclear"luckynumberterminationfee". China'soperatorsdon'tchargefornewbasicSIMcards(replacementsforlostSIMsaregenerally5-10RMBdependingonwhethertheSIMyoulostisissuedintheprovinceorcityyouaretryingtoreplaceitin).Youonlyneedaninitialtopup,enoughtocoverthefirstmonth'schargestotheclosest30or50RMB.Notethatifyouare27oryounger,thebestdealsaretobefoundatuniversitycampuses;"studentspecial"offersavailablenowhereelseareforsalethereyearround,butthebiggestbonuscreditanddataoffersaretobefoundatthestartoftheschoolyear,inthefirstweekofSeptember.Anyone27oryoungercansignup,youjusthavetobephysicallypresentatacarrierstoreonornearauniversitycampuswhencarrierssetupeitherpopupstandsorhavestaffgoingaroundhandingoutfreeSIMpackets(taketothecarrierstoretoactivate,youwillgettheofferprintedonthepacket). Dataratesaregenerallylow:allprovidershaveloweredtheirmaximumdefaultrateto60RMBperGB,andforalmostallmonthlyplans,overageratesareevenlower.From2015allprovidershavealsostartedtorolloverunuseddataallowancesinbundlesovertothenextmonth,exceptforcertainpromotionalbundlesandhigh-speedallowanceson"unlimited"plans. AnotheroptionistobuyaHongKong-basedSIMoraSIMfromabroadanduseitroaminginmainlandChina.MostoperatorsinHongKongsellSIMswithreasonablypriceddatapackagesthatallowaccesstowebsitesordinarilynotallowed(seecensorship)aswellascheapvoicecallsandtexts.ManyoftheChineseissuesbelowcanbeavoidedbydoingso(norealnameregistration,noadvertisingtexts,planbundlesthatcount30daysfromactivationratherthanbycalendarmonth)atthecostofsomewhathigherpricesonvoice,text,anddata(stillwellbelowroamingfrommostothercountries).That'swhysomeoffersofHK-roamingSIMsandSIMsfromabroadareaddedatthebottomofthisarticle.However,thoseoffersnolongerprovideamainlandnumber.Therearesomelongervalidityoptions,suchasThreeorMultiByte'sSIMcardsfromHongKong'ssection,whichprovideupto1yearvalidity. UsuallyallthreesizesofSIMcardsareavailable.Ifnot,someonewillcutittosizeforyou. Realnameregistrationandfacescan[] ArealnameregistrationpolicyformobileusersinChinawasissuedin2010,requiringpeopletoshowtheirnationalidentificationcardandcompletearegistrationformwhenpurchasinganewSIMcardtoactivatemobileservices.Since2013,allnewmobilephoneusershavetoregistertheirrealnamesinordertouseanyservices,andnewthirdpartyvendorpoliciesmeansthatretailstoresandstreetstandswillnolongersellunactivatedcards(theyarenolongerpaidcommissioniftheSIMisactivatedatthecarrierstore). In2019newmeasuresrequiringoperatorstocarryoutfacialrecognitionscansofcustomersaspartoftheuseridentificationandverificationprocesscameintoeffect.Therulesobligeoperatorstoperformthecheckonnewcustomersorsubscriberssigningupforanewservice.Alongsidethefacialrecognitionscan,providerswereinstructedtomakeitcleartocustomersthattheymustnotresell SIM cardstothirdparties.Finally,operatorsmustalsoallowcustomerstocheckwhichmobilenumbershavebeenassignedtothem,toensurethatothershavenotwrongfullyregisteredaphonelineintheirname. Regionalorganization[] Allthreeprovidersareorganizedregionally.YougetaSIMcardwithmobilephonenumberassociatedwithregionofpurchase(area,province)likeintheUSAorRussia.Allcallsarechargedequallynationwide,around0.1-0.2RMBperminuteoutgoingwithunlimitedincomingcallsincludedonallofferscurrentlyavailabletothepublic.International(IDD)callscanbeveryexpensive,however,andoftennotenabledatall.Allthreeprovidersarenowsellingvoice,text,anddataplansvalidnationwide.Therearenomorenewin-province-onlyplansavailabletoforeigners.Providerscanstillsellcertainarea-specificdatapackages,however,buttheseareusuallyadd-ons(thereareafewSIMstarterswithlocal-onlydataratesbutonlysoldthroughthirdpartystores;asaforeignerwithnoChineseIDyoucan'tbuythose)andhavetobeclearlymarked. Planpricingstillvariestosomedegree,however(thepriceslistedbelowwillbeforShanghaiasareferencepoint).Poorerinlandprovinceswillusuallyhavecheaperpricingthanrichercoastalprovinces.Dependingonyouritinerary,youcanbuyaSIMatyourfirstportofentryortransitpoint,orwaituntilyougettoyourultimatedestinationandbuyaSIMthere,andyouwillnotbesurprisedbyoutofprovincesurchargeseitherwayonceyouleavetheprovinceyourSIMwasissuedin. BillingCycle[] AllmobileprovidersinChinastarttheirbillingcycleonthefirstdayofeverymonthregardlessofwhenyoustartservice.Askyourproviderwhenyoustartupwhatyouroptionsareifyouareactivatingclosetotheendofamonth.AtChinaMobileorChinaUnicom,youmightbeofferedusage-basedbilling(按量计费)orhalf-billing(半价半量),whereyoupayforhalfamonthandgethalfofthefullallowancesforthatmonth.ChinaTelecomautomaticallyproratesusageallowancesandpricetotheday. Toppingup[] Withtheadditionoftop-upfunctionalitytoWeChat,supportforforeigncreditanddebitcards,andanupdatemakingthewholeprocessavailableinEnglish,thereisnolongeraneedtosearchforastoresellingtop-upvouchersorgotothecarrierwithcash.DownloadtheWeChatapp(nogeo-block)andsetupanaccountwithyourphonenumberinyourhomecountrybeforeyouleave.ActivatetheWeChatPayfunctionalityandaddyourcreditordebitcard(VisaandMasterCardsupported).OnceyouhaveyourChineseSIM,gototheWeChatPayscreen,tap"Mobiletop-up",typeinyourChinesephonenumber,selecttheamountyouwishtotopup,andtypeinyourWeChatPayPIN.Thiswillnotworkfortheinitialtop-uprequiredtostartservice,however;youwillhavetohavesomecashoraUnionPaycardreadyforthat. Runningoutofcreditisnotagoodidea,asyourphonemaybeblockedforincomingcallstoo.Thisdependsontheprovider.ChinaMobileonlyoffersanoverdraftoption,andonlyifyouhavebeenacustomerforsometime.ChinaUnicommayallowincomingcallsevenwithazerobalancedependingonyourplan.Askwhenyouactivate. Furtherparticularities[] Youwillgetalotofadvertisements,whichyoucan’tblock.Adtextmessagesaretheleastannoyingandcanbedeletedrightaway.Butyouwillgetcallsinthemiddleofthenightaswellwithonlyonering.Theideaistomakeyoucallbackanexpensivepremiumnumber,sodon'tcallitback.IfyouhaveaHongKongSIM,youmayinsteadfindbanksandlenderscold-callingyouadvertisingpersonalloans.Theseareeasytoavoidbyrejectingcallsfromnumbersstartingin852.OnChinaUnicom,youwillalsogetthedatabalancepoppingonyourphoneeverytimeitdisconnectsfromthenetworkandthiscanbequiteoften. EvenifyouchoosetotrytosticktoWiFiinsteadofpurchasingmobiledata,youshouldknowthatalotofpublicaccesspointsinplaceslikeStarbucks,McDonald’soratairportsneedaverificationcodetobesenttoaChinesemobilenumber,whichyouneedtoprovide.Ifyouwishtogothisroute,thenyoucanstillconsideracheapplanwithaminimalamountofdataoradailyrate. InstantmessaginghasbecomethemainmethodofcommunicationinChina.AlmosteveryoneusesWeChat,WhatsAppislesspreferredandsometimesavailable,sometimesblocked,Skypeisanoptiontoo,butcertainotherappslikeLINEandKakaoTalkarealwaysblocked. Suspendingyourplan[] All3majorcarriershaveanunclearcancellationpolicy.Officiallytheyrequireyoutocancel(销户)yourplanandaccountwhenyouleavetoavoidbeingblacklisted.Accountterminationmustbedoneinperson,andcannotbedoneoverthephone. Ifyouleavethecountrywithoutproperlyterminatingyourplanandaccount,youwillnotbeabletore-registeranewSIM/phonenumberonsubsequentvisitstoChina.PlanterminationofaSIM/accountrequireyoutovisitoneofthebrandedstoresoftheoperatorwiththeoriginalIDusedtoregistertheSIM,otherwisethesystemwilldrawyourbalancethroughmonthlyplandeductionsuntilthebalancereacheszeroandwillreleaseyournumber90dayslater.IfyoureturntoChinaatalaterdateandwishtoregisterandactivateanotherSIM/phonenumber,youwillberequiredtopaythe90daysworthofmonthlyfeeoftheoffendingprepaidaccount,fortheperiodwhenyouraccountissittingatzerobalancepriortoyournumberbeingreleased. IfyouletyourSIM/accountlapseinthisfashionmorethanonce,youwillbeblacklistedandnotabletoregisterfutureSIMsthroughthenormalproperchannels.Cancellationofprepaidplanisalsoonlyallowedifyouraccountbalanceis25RMBorless,butifyouhavemoreanddon'tcareaboutkeepingitforfutureuse,youcanjustaddenoughadd-onservicestodrainyouraccount,thencancelit. Otherusersreportednoproblemsjusttoleavewithoutcancelling.Sochecklocallywithyourproviderabouttermination.SpecifictoChinaUnicom,thisissuecanariseifyouareactivatedasapostpaid(后付费)customersomakesureyouraccountstatusintheirsystemisprepaid(预付费)afteractivation.Newproceduresaresupposedtobeinplacetorequireaforeignertoplacea500RMBdepositforpostpaidservice,sothisshouldnolongerbeabletohappenwithoutknowledgeandconsent,butmakesureonyourserviceagreementjustincase.Inaddition,thenew5Gplanscomewithacommitmentperiodifyouchoosetosignupunderthediscountedrate,andrefusingtopaybackthediscountifyouleavebeforeyouryearisupwillalsoresultinblacklisting.Ifyouhavebeenaffectedbytheblacklistinganddon'twishtopay,youronlyoptiontouseaSIMfromHongKong,Macau,orabroad. IDDcalls[] Cheapforeign(IDD)callscanbemadefromlandlinesusingspeciallong-distancevaluecardscalled"IPcards"orusingVoIPfromyourmobileifyouhaveastable3G/4GconnectionoraWiFiaccess.BeawarethatanIPcardcostsabout20to25CNYandhasacreditof100CNY! Censorship[] ThecensorshipinChinaissowidespreadandnotoriousthatitneedstobeaddressedinmoredetailasitwillcertainlyhamperyourinternetaccessandoperations.Thisisoftenreferredtoas“GreatFirewallofChina”. Accesstoalotofwebsitesissimplyblocked.Notonlypolitical,butusualsiteslikeFacebook,TwitterorYouTube.InparticularGoogleincludingGmail,Search,Maps,etc.areblockedsinceitdiscontinueditscooperationwiththeChineseauthorities.HereisanupdatedguideofthemostimportantwebsitesthatareinaccessiblerightnowinChina:WebsitesblockedinChina Allsocialmessaging(likeWeChatorWhatsapp)andeventextmessagesarescreenedandmonitoredforcertaintermsandcanbecensored.ThissurveillancenormallyappliestotextsinMandarin(Chinese)languageonlyandEnglishwillnotbefiltered.However,it'snotjustwhatyousay,butwhoyouknow;ifsomeoneyouaddasafriendonWeChatiscaughtinacriminalinvestigation,theauthoritiesmaygoaftertheirWeChatfriends,includingyou,tofindpotentialaccomplices.Don'taddsomeoneyoudon'tknowpersonally. TheusualwaytocircumventthisblockingistouseaVPNorproxyapporsoftware.BeforetravellingtoChina,youshoulddownloadandtryoutsomeofthemandpossiblysignuptoandfamiliarizeyourselfwithone.MakesurethattheyarenotblockedastheChinesegovernmentoroperators(esp.ChinaUnicom)trytosniffandkilltheconnectioniftheydetectaVPN.YoushouldalsochangeyourDNSservertoaserveroutsideChina. HereisamanualhowtoimplementaVPNonaniPhone:howtobreakthroughthegreatfirewallofChina HereareupdatedlistsofbestworkingVPNproxiesforChina:list#1list#2 HereisamanualhowtochangeDNSserversandhowtoavoidChina'sDNSservers FromFebruary2018,theChinesegovernmentplannedatotalbanofVPNservicesinthecountry.AlllocalprovidersareorderedtoeffectivelyblockallVPNsandtherebycloseaccesstomanyforeignsites.Ascanbeseen,VPNproviderscanstillfindwaystobypassit,butoutagesaresomewhatmorefrequentthanbefore,andVPNconnectionsarenotrunningasfastastheyhavebeen.ApplehasalreadyremovedmajorVPNappsfromitsappstore.Tobesuretohaveaccesstovitalsites,roamwithaninternationalSIMcard(evenonefromHongKongorMacau)inChina,astheserestrictionsdon'tapplytoroamingSIMcardsfromabroad. AccesstoVoIP(Skypeandsomeothers) isnotrestricted(unlesstheappitselfisspecificallybanned,forexample,GoogleVoice,FacebookMessenger,Line,andsometimesWhatsApp)andtetheringisallowedonallChineseSIMcards. ChinaMobile(中国移动)[] Normally,ChinaMobileshouldnotbepartofthelistasitusesaveryownandtotallyincompatible3GversioncalledTD-SCDMA.Ithasthemostdeveloped4G/LTEnetworktoo,butagainitusesaveryChineseTDD-LTEwhichisonlyjuststartingtobeusedinafewothercountries.For4G1900MHz(band39),2300MHz(band40)and2500MHz(band41,compatiblewithband38)onTDD-LTEareemployed.Itisalsonowusing1800MHz(band3)and900MHz(band8)LTEinlargercities,butthiscoverageisnotyetstrongenoughtobeconsideredfullyreliable. Ontheotherside,it’sbyfarthebiggestoperatoroftheworldwithmorethan800millioncustomers(that’smoreastwiceasmuchasallmobilesubscribersintheUSonallnetworkstogether),andthereareoperatorsoutsideChinaadoptingTDD-LTEaswell.In2015ithad250million4Gcustomersalone,that'smorethanthenextfive4Gprovidersintheworldcombined.Soweshouldmakeanexception. Withoutdoubt,ithasthebestcoverageinallprovincesandisyourfirstchoiceforvoiceandtextasthesesratesdon’tdiffersomuchamongtheproviders.FordatayouwillprobablygetonlyEDGEspeedupto384kbit/s,butoftenslower.Sodesktopwebsites,VPNuse(seeabove)orVoIParenotfeasibleonChinaMobileonolderGSMdevices.OndeviceswithFDD-LTEonly,expectcoveragetoonlybeavailableincities,andtobeslowerthanyouwouldfindathomeduetothesheernumberofusers.Newerphones(generally2017orlater)nowoftenincludeatleastsomesupportforChinaMobileTDD-LTEfrequencies.GooglePixelglobalversionandiPhones6SandnewerincludefullsupportforChinaMobile,includingTD-SCDMAandTDD-LTE. Availability[] Inmostcities,ChinaMobileusedtoselltheirprepaidcardsnotunderitsownbrandname,butunderothernameslikeEasyOwn(神州行=Shénzhōuxínɡ)orMZone(动感地带=DònggǎnDìdài).Thishasbeenphasedoutinsomecities.From2015ChinaMobile4GbrandedSIMcardsaresoldinthecenterswhereLTEwaslaunched.Pricesandcompositionoftheplansvarybyprovince(plansforShanghaiareprovidedbelowforreference). Toaddvalue,refertotheWeChatmethodmentionedabovefirst.Ifyouneedtousecash,gotoaconveniencestoreoracarrierstore.Ataconveniencestore,they’llsellascratch-offcard,dial138-0013-8000,press“2″forEnglish,thenpress“1#,”andenterthenumberprintedonyourvoucherorcard.Ifyoudothetop-upatacarrierstore,therewillbemachinesthatdodirectelectronictop-upstoyournumber,sonovoucherisnecessary.ChangethelanguageonthemachinetoEnglishandfollowtheinstructions. Forcheaperinternationalcalls,youneedtoactivateIDDprefixes,whichcanbedoneattimeofactivation.Prefix12593costs1RMBpermonthbutdoesnotrequireadeposit.ForIDDcallpricesusingthisprefix,seehere. YoucancheckyourbalanceatanytimebysendinganSMSwiththetext"ye"tothenumber10086.Ifyouhaveadataplan,youcansendanSMSwiththetext"1091"to10086,andyou'llreceiveareplystatinghowmuchdatayou'veusedandhowmuchisremaining. UpdateJan.2020 DuetothecurrentsituationregardingtheNovelCoronavirus,ChinaMobileisactivelymonitoringifSIMcardsissuedintheHubeiRegionroamonforeignproviders.PleasekeepthisinmindwhenpurchasingaSIMcardinthatregion. Dataplans[] InmostprovinceslikeShanghaiorBeijing,newsubscribersarenowrequiredtopickabaseplanfirst.Notethatbaseplansandadd-onscanvarybetweenprovinces.ThefollowingisforShanghai: New5Gplansarenowavailable.Thefollowingplansareavailable: Price Voice Data 128RMB 500mins 30GB 158RMB 600mins 40GB 198RMB 1000mins 60GB 238RMB 1000mins 80GB 298RMB 1500mins 100GB 398RMB 2000mins 150GB 598RMB 3000mins 300GB The30GB,40GB,and60GBplansoperateatalowernetworkprioritythantheothers;youmayseeslowerspeedsduringpeaktimesorinbusyareas.Overuseisat5RMBperGBupto3GB,then3RMBperGBafter.Whenoveragefeesreach500RMB,datawillbecutoffandyoumustcontactcustomerserviceorgotoastoretoauthorizefurtherusagefortherestofthatmonth. Thelowestratetobefoundisonthedaily-rateSIM.ThisSIMisnameddifferentthingsindifferentpartsofthenation,butifyoushowthestaffyouwanta日租卡theywillunderstand.Thisofferisessentiallythesameacrossthenation:18RMBpermonth,dataoutsideapackageischargedatadailyrateof1RMBfor1GB.Notethatthismeansthatifyougoeven1MBover,youarechargedanother1RMB. Their4Gglobalplans(4G飞享套餐)allincludebothlocalvoiceminutesandmobiledata,withfreeincomingcalls(e.g.validinBeijingandShanghaiandsimilartomostotherplaces): Price Data Voice 88RMB 3GB 220mins 138RMB 6GB 450mins 188RMB 10GB* 700mins 238RMB 10GB* 1200mins 288RMB 20GB* 1200mins 338RMB 40GB* 2000mins 588RMB 60GB* 4000mins /*Plansthatcost188RMBormoreare"unlimited"withanunclearthrottlingpolicy,butprobablyfollowsthecheaper"unlimited"plansbelow.Inaddition,therearelowertiersavailableinlower-incomeprovinces. Thereisalsoasetoflower-pricedGoTone"unlimited"plans(全球通畅享套餐)withfewerminutesandlowerpricesavailable: Price Full-SpeedData Dom.Voice IDDVoice 88RMB 10GB 200mins 50mins 128RMB 20GB 300mins 100mins 188RMB 30GB 500mins 200mins 238RMB 40GB 800mins 300mins IDDminutesarevalidforcallstoHongKong,mainlandUS,Germany,France,Australia,SouthKorea,Singapore,Mongolia,andMalaysia.Throttlingpolicybeyondthefull-speedallowanceis1Mbpsupto100GB,then128kbpsuntilthefollowingmonth.Youcanoptoutofthe1Mbpsthrottlingtierbyactivatingthe"speed-uppack"(提速包)withyourplan,whichwillinsteadchargeyou5RMBperGBuseduntil100GB(thereisnowaytooptoutofthe128kbpsthrottling).However,pricingforthiscanvarybyprovince;forexample,belowisthe"unlimited"pricingforGuangxiprovince,nearVietnam: Price Full-SpeedData Voice AdditionalSIMs 98RMB 20GB 100on-net,300all-netmins 1 138RMB 30GB 650all-netmins 3 188RMB 30GB 300on-net,1000all-netmins 4 238RMB 40GB 1000on-net,1000all-netmins 4 AdditionalSIMstothesameallowanceofminutesanddataareincludedintheplanpricehere,whileforShanghaiplansitcostsanextra20RMBpermonthontopoftheplanpricetolinkupto6additionalSIMs(chargedtothemainuser).Inaddition,therearemonthlydata-onlyadd-ons(流量可选包): Price Data 10RMB 300MB 10RMB 1GB 20RMB 1GB 30RMB 2GB 50RMB 6GB 70RMB 12GB 100RMB 20GB 150RMB 50GB 200RMB 100GB Andlonger-runningdata-onlyadd-ons(季包for90daypacks,半年包for180daypacks,年包for360daypacks): Price Data Validity 90RMB 3GB 90days 150RMB 6GB 90days 180RMB 6GB 180days 210RMB 9GB 90days 300RMB 12GB 180days 360RMB 12GB 360days 420RMB 18GB 180days 600RMB 24GB 360days 840RMB 36GB 360days Theseareusuallynotgoodvalueunlessyourusagevariesalotacrossmonthsand/oryouwantasingle"setandforget"datapackageformultiplevisits. Thesepackagesneedtobeactivatedin-storeoronline,ifyouknowMandarin.Otherplansandpackagesmaybeavailableaccordingtoprovince.Onallplansunuseddatarollsovertothenextmonth. Therearealsocertainspecialpacksonlyusableatcertaintimes: Night-timeData(休闲流量包):10RMBfor10GB,valideverynight23:00to7:00 PeakHourData(早晚高峰流量包):10RMBfor1GB,valid7:00to10:00and17:00to20:00everyday Month-EndSpecial(月末流量包):10RMBfor2GB,canonlybeactivatedandusedthelast7daysofthemonth Rolloverisonlyavailableonthenight-timepack. Overusefeesonmostnon-unlimitedplansareonly0.29RMBperMBandhavingreached60RMB(atslightlyabove200MB)therestofupto1GBisfree.Thereisalsoa"safety"option(安心包)thataddsanintermediatetier,sohavingreached10RMB,usageisfreeupto100MB,continuinginthiswayevery100MBupto60RMBcharged.Notethatthismakesexcessdata60RMBperGB,onlycappedat500RMBor15GB.Youshouldmakesureyouknowwhatyourusageneedsareandtrytobuyclosetothatamount. Moreinfo[] APN:cmnet ChinaMobileCustomerServiceHotline:10086(free,Englishavailable) WebsiteinMandarinforChinaMobile:http://www.bj.10086.cn/index/ ChinaMobileHongKong(forroaminginChina)[] UnlikeChinaUnicom,ChinaMobilehasitsownnetworkinHongKong.However,thisdoesn'tpreventthemfromsellingtheirownroamingSIMsformainlandChinaoutofHongKong.Theycomewithsomebenefits,likebypassingtheGreatFirewall,skippingregistration,andbeingabletotop-upwithaforeigncreditcard.Additionally,ChinaMobileHKoffersabonusschemeforusers,whoreloadonline.However,theirroamingSIMsarehardertofindonline,usuallybeinglimitedtosalesoneBayfromthirdparties.IfyouaretransitingHongKongonthewaytoChinaandhavethetimetostepoutside,thereisaChinaMobilekioskonthearrivalslevelatHKGairport. Regulations[] NonewSIMswithmainlandnumberaresoldanymore,dueinparttothemainlandregistrationregulations. Additionally,CMHKSIMcardsstateonthepackaging,thattheyshouldbeactivatedinHongKong.Thisisasuggestion,notmandatory;thereisabonusofunlimiteddatainHKforexactly24hoursuponactivation(youwillgetSMSconfirmationofexpirytime),butifyoudon'tplanongoingtoHKfirst,itcanbeactivatedfromwithinmainlandChinawithnoissuebydialing*#130#onthephone,aftersignalisreceived. Restrictions[] Donote,thatifyourphonedoesnotsupportChinaMobile'sTDD-LTEorTD-SCDMAtechnology(seeChinaMobileandBasicsabove),your4GaccesswillbelimitedtolargercitieswheretheyhavestandardLTEband3and8andyouwon'thave3Gtofallbackon,onlyEDGE. VoiceanddataSIMcards[] 4G/3GChina-HKPrepaidSIMCardcostsHK$120andcomeswithHK$114ofcreditvalidfor180days.BasicdatarateisHK$1.5perMBcappedatHK$48daily.AHK$6adminstrationfeepermonthapplies. Ifyoucan'tobtainthisSIM,ChinaroamingdatapackagescanalsobeactivatedonthesetwoSIMcards:4G/3GIndividualTravelerPrepaidSIMCardsoldatHK$68withHK$18creditand4G/3GSuperTalkPrepaidSIMCardsoldatHK$48withHK$46credit.However,thedailyrateishigherforthesetwoSIMs(HK$68),andvoiceandtextarechargedathigherrates.AHK$2administrationfeewillbedeductedmonthly. TothethreeSIMcardsabovetheseroamingpackagesfor30dayscanbeadded: 200MB:HK$38-activation:*103*200*04# 2GB:HK$98-activation:*103*200*05# 4GB:HK$168-activation:*103*200*06# Additionally,all4G/3GSIMsnowhaveanFUPonthedailyunlimitedrate.Ifyouusemorethan1GBperday,ChinaMobilereservestherighttothrottleyourconnectiontonotlessthan128kbps. Ifyougooveryourdatapack,youwillbenotifiedbySMSandyourinternetaccesswillbeshutoff.Youmustunsubscribefromthepack,andyoucanchoosetoresubscribetoapackorpaythedailyrategoingforward(anadvantageoverChinaUnicom'sHKoffering). Inadditiontotheabove,threeSIMswithfixedvalidityandafixedamountofminutes,SMS,anddatavalidacrossmainlandChina,HongKong,andMacauarenowavailable. HK$98:3days,50minutes,50SMS,1GB,link HK$168:10days,100minutes,100SMS,2GB,link HK$198:30days,100minutes,100SMS,4GB,link Data-onlySIMcard[] Fordataonlytheyoffera4G/3GChina10-dayDataPrepaidSIMCardtobeusedinbothHKandmainlandChina.ThisSIMisHK$108for3GBofHKandmainlanddata.ItcanbeusedatadailyrateofHK$48inHKorChina(with1GBFUP).Takecare;theinitialvalidityperiodisonlyfor10days,soitmustbetoppedupbeforeexpirationforadditionaluse.ThisSIMisresoldanddeliveredgloballyby http://www.prepaid.com.hk.Thereisoneadd-onpackageofferedvalidforanother10days: 1GB:HK$100-activation:*103*200*07# Youcanbuynewpackagebeforetheoldoneisusedup.Datafromoldpackagerollsforwardinthiscase.Ifyourunoutofpackagedata,you'reswitchedtodailyrate.YoumaywanttobuymultipleSIMsinadvanceinstead,astheadd-onrateprovidesmuchlessdataforthesamemoney. ChinaMobilehasalsonowreleasedalong-validitySIM,with8GBdatavalidfor365daysforHK$388.ThisSIMcannotbetoppedup;ifyourunoutofdatabeforethe365daysareupyoumustbuyanotherSIM. Toppingup[] TheseSIMcardsparticipateinCMHK'stop-upbonusscheme.Thefollowingbonusesapplyforonlinetop-ups,whichcannowonlybedonewithaVisaorMasterCardissuedfromHongKong: HK$30-49fora5%bonus HK$50-199fora15%bonus HK$200-299fora20%+HK$10bonus >HK$300fora30%+HK$10bonus Everytop-upofHKD50ormoreextendsvalidityfor180dayssincedayoftop-up.Anysmallerrechargeonlyfor30daysunlesspreviousvaliditywaslongerinwhichcasepreviousvalidityiskept.Similar,butsmallerbonusesaregivenfortop-upsinstoreinHongKong. Onlineaccountmanagement[] Theyhaveanonlineaccountmanagement.Therearetwowaystologintoaccountmanagement:bySMSverificationorbypassword.Formeroneworksonlyifyou'reinmainlandChinaorHongKong.SoifyouwanttokeepyourSIMaliveoutsideChinait'srecommendedtocreateapasswordbyclicking"prepaidSIMregistration"onaccountmanagement.Youcanconsultyourbalancethereandrefillbutyoucan'tbuypackages.It'salsoavailableasanappforAndroidandforiOS Moreinfo[] Querybalance,bothmoneyandmegabytes:dial*#130#. APN:cmhk(forHKroamingSIM) ChinaMobileCustomerServiceHotline:400-120-4000,nomenus,directlinetoalivepersonbutdomesticcallratewillbecharged WebsiteinEnglishforChinaMobileHongKong:http://www.hk.chinamobile.com/en/ ChinaUnicom(中国联通)[] ChinaUnicomisthe2ndproviderinthecountryandshouldbeyourpreferredchoicefordataasit’stheonlyonethatuses3GUMTSuptoHSPA+speedon2100MHzlikeusedinmostotherplacesinAsia,EuropeorAustralia(seeBasicschapter). TheircoverageisnotasgoodasChinaMobile’sbutstillreasonableandsufficient.TheystartedFDD-LTEon1800MHz,whichhasnowexpandedtomostcitiesandtowns.Theyarenowbuildinga5GnetworkincooperationwithChinaTelecom.Still,theyofferthewidestcompatibilitywithdevicesfromotherpartsofAsia,EuropeandAustralia. YoumustbuytheirSIMcardsintheirshopswithregistration(seeBasics).AsGoogleMapsarecurrentlyblockedinChina,searchonYahooorBingtofindtheneareststore. ForcheapinternationalcallsyouneedtoactivateIDDprefixes.ForIDDcallpricesusing17911,seehere. Unicom'splansareofficially“contracts”andyoushouldobeytheterminationrulesgivenintheBasicschapter.Ifyouarestartingserviceinthemiddleorneartheendofamonth,askwhatyouroptionsare:dependingonyourplanyoumaybegiventheoptionofpureusage-basedbillinguntilthebeginningofthenextmonthortheoptiontopayhalfyourmonthlyfeeandgethalfyourallowances. WO[] ChinaUnicomshopsarenowmostlyco-brandedwithUnicom'ssubsidiary"WO."However,thesedays,withthe5Glaunch,theyhavemostlyabandonedthisasaseparatebrandsoitisonlyusedasanamefortheirretailstores. 5GPlan[] ChinaUnicomoffersthefollowing5Gplans,essentiallythesamepricesandallowancesasChinaMobile: FullPrice Data Voice 129RMB 30GB 500mins 159RMB 40GB 500mins 199RMB 60GB 1000mins 239RMB 80GB 1000mins 299RMB 100GB 1500mins 399RMB 150GB 2000mins 599RMB 300GB 3000mins Overuseforallplansisat3RMBperGB.Dataserviceiscutoffonce600RMBofusageisreached.Incomingcallsdonotcountagainstyourvoiceallowance.Inaddition,two"additionalSIMs"canbeaddedtosharethedataandvoiceallowanceatacostof10RMBpermonthperSIM. 4GDataKingPlan(流量王套餐)[] Thisisaplanformid-tierusers,whodon'tnecessarilyneed"unlimited". 56RMB:200minutesoutgoingvoice,unlimitedincomingvoice,10GBdomesticdata Overageonthisplanis0.15RMBaminuteforvoice,0.1RMBperSMS,and0.1RMBperMBupto10RMBafterwhichdataisfreeupto1GB.Thiscancontinuewithnocap,effectivelyarateof10RMBperGB. "IceGod"(HighUsage)Plan(冰神套餐)[] ChinaUnicom'spreviously"unlimited"plansarenowsimplyhigh-usageplanswithverylowoveragerates.Thefollowingisthegeneralformatinmostcitiesandprovinces: 99RMB:300nationalminutes,20GBnationaldata 199RMB:unlimitedtalk,40GBnationaldata Insteadofthepreviouslyofferedtieredthrottling,dataoverageisnowcharged,justverycheaply,at3RMBperGB.Dataserviceiscutoffat600RMBusagepermonth. Additionally,someprovincesalsoallowtheoptiontosharetheunlimitedplanamongmultiplepeopleusingadditionalSIMs(副卡).UsingShanghaiasanexample,twoadditionalSIMsarecanbeaddedfor10RMBeachtosharedatawiththefirstSIM. 4GData-only/WebSurfingPass(4G上网卡)[] Thisisadata-onlySIMdirectedtomodems,tablets,routersandMiFi'sforheavydatavolumesin3Gand4G/LTE.Youcanuseitinphonestoo,butithasnovoicenortext.Itisaone-offprepaidcardwithoutanyobligations.Currentlytheseoptionsareavailable,validforoneyear: Volume Price 18GB 160RMB 26GB 240RMB 52GB 480RMB 64GB 600RMB Theyworkimmediatelywithanyphone,tabletorlaptop.Thereareotherofferstoodependingonprovince. VariousresellersmarkettheSIMcardsofChinaUnicomabroad.TheywillbedeliveredfromChinatoyourhomecountry.ThisgivesyoutheadvantageofanEnglish-speakingsupportandaworkingoptionfromthestart,butcomeswithhighsurchagesfortheirservice.Wementionthreecompaniesherebelow. 3GSOLUTIONS[] 3GSOLUTIONSisareputablecompanywhichmarketstheproductsofChinaUnicomabroadforyears.TheysendChinaUnicomPrepaid4GSIMcards(validfor30days)frommainlandChina(notHK)toanyplaceinChinaandabroadanddotop-upstoo. Prepaid4GSIM: 2GB:US$23.00 3GB:US$29.00 6GB:US$39.00 10GB:US$49.00 20GB:US$69.00 Lyvcom[] LyvcomisanauthorizeddistributorofChinaUnicomforsellingintointernationalvisitormarketsegmentsinChinaandoverseas.TheysellChinaUnicomSIMcardsabroadthroughthewebsitesofAmazonUS,Canada,UK,Germany,France,SpainandItalywithworldwidedeliveryforapremium.Lyvcomre-sellsChinaUnicom'snetworkinupto4G/LTEspeedandarevalidfor90days: 1GB:US$25 2GB:US$40 6GB:US$75 Additionaldatais0.20CNYperMB.Itcontains50localcallminsor100texts.IDDcallsarepossible.Allincomingcallsandtextsarefree. AfteryouorderyourSIMcard,yourmustemail:passportinformation,AmazonorderID,phonenumberoftheSIMcardholder.DetailinstructionwillbesenttoyouviaAmazonmessagingcenteronceyourmakeyourorder.Theactivationprocesswon'tshortenSIMcardvalidationperiod,whichonlystartswhenyouactuallyusetheSIMcardanditwillbevalidfor90daysfromfirstuse.Extensionsaresoldtoo.Beawarethatdataaddedviaotherchannelsexceptmychinaunicom.commaynotbeworkableandmayevensuspendthecard. SIMEasy[] SIMEasyhaspartneredwithChinaUnicomtosellsimilarSIMcardswithpreloaded3G/4Gdatapackagesabroad.Theyareavailablewithfreeinternationaldelivery.Duringthecheckoutprocessacopyofpassportpageisrequiredforofficialregistrationthattheywilldoforyou.Thesepackagesareofferedon4G/LTEupto300Mbpsinallthreesizes: 2GBfor30days:US$30 3GBand50localminsfor90days:US$42.50 6GBand50localminsfor90days:US$77.50 Moreinfo[] APN:3gnet CustomerService(inEnglishavailable):10010 WebsiteinMandarinonly:http://4g.10010.com Airalo[] Airalo haspartneredwithChinaUnicomtoselltheirtouristeSIMs.ChinaUnicomeSIMsareavailablehere.TheeSIMcomeswithunlimiteddatawithaFUPof128kbpsafter3GBusage.TheeSIMisvalidfor5daysandnon-rechargeable. UnlimitedDatafor5days:US$15 Nomad NomadhaspartneredwithTruphonetoprovidedataplanstoallChinesetravelers.Plansofferedincludea1GBor30GB30dayplanthatcanbetopped-upatanytime.Shophereforplans. ChinaUnicomHongKong(forroaminginChina)[] ChinaUnicomalsooperatesaMVNOinHongKong.TheysellroamingSIMsthatworkinbothHongKongandtheChinesemainland.UnlikemainlandChinaSIMs,dataisnotcensored,andnoregistrationisrequired.Thisdoesnotaffectyourabilitytoaccessanywebsites,onlyservicesthatrequireSMSverification(somepublicWiFihotspotswillsendverificationSMStoaHongKongnumber,mostwon't). TheChinaUnicomHongKongwebsiteisnowinEnglish,makingthepurchaseandtop-upprocessmucheasierthanwithmainland-basedservice.TheyalsosellitthroughotherplatformslikeAmazon.comoreBay. MainlandrechargevoucherswillnolongerworkwithnewHongKongSIMsduetothelackofamainlandnumber,andarestillnotrecommendedforthosewhoholdexisting,registereddual-numberSIMs.Inaddition,notethatyoucannowonlyuseHongKong-basedpaymentmethods(Visa,UnionPay;7-11storesselltop-upcards)toaddcredittotheaccount.Ifyoudon'thaveaccesstothese,you'llneedtomakesuretheSIMcomeswithenoughpre-loadedcreditforyourneeds,oryoucanbuyaCUniqplaninyourhomecountrythatcomeswithdatainChina(pricesvary). TheirnewonlineshopnowavailableinEnglishwithsitesfortheUK,US,Germany,Russia,etc.makesitmucheasiertoorderChineseSIMcards.Deliverytimewillvaryandashippingfeeisaddedtosomecountries.Ifneeded,thenecessaryrealnameregistration(seebelow)canbemadeontheirwebsitetoo. HongKongoffers[] ForvoiceanddatainHongKongandmainlandChinatheyoffertheCrossBorderKing4GHongKongSIMforHK$99,withthesamecreditvalidfor90daysfromthedateofactivation.IfyoucannotfindtheCrossBorderKingSIMinstock,the4GLocalVoiceandDataPrepaidSIMisnowfunctionallyidentical,butatalowerupfrontprice(HK$48forHK$46credit).BotharevalidinmainlandChina,HongKong,Macau,TaiwanandJapan.StandardrateisHK$0.80perMB(=HK$800perGB!)inHongKongandthemainland(cappedatHK$28dailyinHongKongonly),andahighHK$0.02perkb(=HK$20perMB)cappedatHK$68perdayforMacau,Taiwan,andJapan.ThesepackagesareavailableforHongKongandmainlandChina: 500MBfor7days:HK$48-activation:*118*600# 500MBfor30days:HK$68-activation:**118*601# 1GBforfor30days:HK$88-activation:**118*504# 2GBfor30days:HK$148-activation:**118*602# ThesecardsbothchargeamonthlyadministrationfeeofHK$6,appliedatactivationandoneach1stdayofthecalendarmonthagain.OverageinmainlandChinaisHK$0.8perMB.Theywillbecancelledonthe8thor31stdayatmidnightanddon'tauto-renew. Whenyouhaveexhaustedthedatainthepackage,youwillgetatextmessageinformingyou.Youcanthenstartanewpackageifyouhavesufficientcreditinyouraccount. Finally,theyhavedifferentdata-onlySIMcardsforChina,nowallwith4G:  Mainland&HongKong8DaysDataSIM:HK$150with2GBfor8days GreaterChina15DaysDataSIM:HK$178with2GBfor15days GreaterChina30DaysDataSIM:HK$240with3GBfor30days Thereisnolongerahardcapondata-onlySIMs;oncehigh-speeddatahasbeenusedup,dataspeedswillsimplybethrottledtonotlessthan128kbps.The8-daySIMandthe30-daySIMcanbetoppedup,the15daySIMcannot.Thefollowingtop-upsareoffered:  8-daySIM:HK$100:8days,2GB  30-daySIM:HK$180:30days,3GB  TheyalsoofferSIMcardsthatareonlyvalidforGuangdongprovinceandHongKong(seewebsite).  Moreinfo[] APN:3gnet CustomerService(inEnglishavailable):13068400177forCUHongKongSIMs WebsiteinEnglishforCUHongKongSIMs:https://www.cuniq.com ChinaTelecom(中国电信)[] Network[] ChinaTelecomusesCDMA(andthusEVDOfor3G)like(SprintandVerizon)intheUSandinafewotherAsiancountries,whichisincompatiblewithGSM-devices(seeabove). TheirrelianceonR-UIMsinsteadofthetraditionalNorthAmericanmethodofstoringprogrammingdatainthephonemeansthatfromoverseas,onlydeviceswithbothLTEandCDMAsupportaswellassomeolderCDMA-onlydeviceswithSIM/R-UIMslotsarecapableofusingtheirnetworkforvoiceandtext. YoualsoneedtocheckthatyourdevicesupportsCDMABC0.IfyouwantLTEyouneedsupportforbands1,3,20,40and41.TheyhaveFDD-LTEacrosstheirentire4Gcoveragearea.TouseLTEyoudon'tneedyourdevicetobecompatiblewiththeirCDMAnetwork,butbeingwithoutyouwouldbelimitedtoLTEcoverage. Furthermore,ChinaTelecomhasthesmallestnetworkwithamarketshareofaround14 %.Asaconsequence,ithaslower-pricedplansandalong-standingpracticeofofferingsignificantamountsofbonuscreditwithnewsubscriptionstoattractmorecustomers.Forcustomerswithcompatiblephonesortablets,ChinaTelecomwillmostlikelybeabetterdeal.iPhone5andnewerfromVerizonandNexus5X/6PandiPhone6andnewerfromallcarrierswillalsofunctionwithChinaTelecomwithoutmodification.AnythingthatsupportsChinaTelecom'sfrequencieswillalsofunctionwithChinaTelecomfordataonly. UnlikeChinaMobileandChinaUnicom,ChinaTelecomdoesnotoffer5Gplansonastandalonebasis;5Gservicecanonlybepurchasedinabundlewithhomeinternet.Thus,theycannotbelistedhere. Start-upandavailability[] NotethatnoteveryChinaTelecomstorecanactivateSIMcardsforforeigners-eveninbigcitieslikeShanghai,someChinaTelecomstoresmayaskyoutogotooneofthelargestmainlocationsinthecitycenterforregistration. Initialtop-uprequiredvariesdependingondesiredplanbutmonthlychargesaretakenfromthis. Low-usagePlan(随心卡)[] ThisSIMisintendedforlightdatausers.Itcostsonly30RMBwithsamecredit,andthemonthlycostis9RMBfor300MBdataandunlimitedincomingvoiceonly.Dataoverageis0.024RMBperMB. DailyRate"KingSIM"(大王卡)[] ThisSIMcostsslightlymorepermonthwithadailyratefordata.Itcosts19RMBpermonthfor100outgoingminutes,unlimitedincoming,andadailyrateof1RMBper800MBconsumedinaday.Thiscanstack;ifyougoover800MBonthesamedayyougetchargedanother1RMBevenifyouonlygooverby1MB.Inaddition,datausageonChineseappsmadebyBaiduandAlibabaarezero-rated. "New"MonthlyPlans(新魔都系列套餐)[] Thesehavebeensimplifiedtojusttwo: Price Data Voice 30RMB 10GB 100mins 48RMB 15GB 200mins Dataoverageontheseisaverylow0.0029RMBperMB(=2.9RMBperGB),thelowestofalltheusage-basedplansonthemarket.Overagechargesandusageareinitiallycappedat15GB;callcustomerserviceorgotoastoretohavethiscapremovedifneeded.Forflexibleusage,thisisthebestoptionavailablesofar. Moreinfo[] APN:ctnet CustomerHotline(inEnglishavailable,ifyouarelucky):10000 WebsiteinMandarin:http://www.189.cn RoamingSIMcardsfromHongKong[] TobuyaroamingSIMcardfromthespecialadministrationareaofHongKongformainlandChinaremainsthemostaffordablesolutionrightnow,whenyouwanttoavoidcensorshipandVPNuse.SIMcardsinHongKongarestillanonymousandbypassthe"firewall"inmainlandChina.However,acertainsurveillancecan'tberuledoutanymore.TheseSIMcardsaresoldonthestreetsofHongKongaswellasmarketedworldwideonline.Youwon'tgetthemintherestofChina.SobesuretouseareputablecompanyfortheirserviceandbuythemaheadofyourvisittomainlandChinainHongKongoronline. InthisarticleweonlyshowtheoffersoftheHKaffiliatesofthemainlandoperatorsChinaMobileandChinaUnicom.RefertoourspecialHongKongchapterforotherroamingoptionsbyfurtherlocalHKnetworkoperatorscsl,ThreeandSmartone.Additionally,therearespecialroamingSIMcardsbylocalHongKongMVNOsonthemarketlikeAirSIMandBNESIMthatcanbefoundinourAllcountriesarticleandaredistributedworldwide. RoamingSIMcardsfromTaiwan[] Inrecentmonths,twoprovidersinTaiwanhavefinallystartedofferingprepaiddataserviceinChinawithoutcensorshiportheconcernsaboutmonitoring.IfyouaretransitingTaiwanonyourwaytomainlandChinaandwanttobuyoneofthebelowoffers,leaveplentyoftransittime,becausetheyhavetobepurchasedintownandcannotbepurchasedatairportservicecounters. Mostnotably,TaiwanMobileissofartheonlyprovideranywhereofferingtrueunlimiteddata,withoutthrottlingordeprioritization,inChina,andatapricethataveragesbetweenNT$89andNT$100dailydependingonthelengthofpackageyoupurchase(forexample,a7daypackagecostsNT$589,orroughlyUS$20).TheirprepaidSIMdoesrequireregistrationwithID,however,sobepreparedtospendsometimeinstore. GTMobileisnotofferingtrueunlimitedperse,buttheyhaveSIMsoffering50GBdailywithaveragecostofonlyalittlemorethanNT$100adayforthe6and9daySIMs,withnoregistrationrequired(=lesstimespentonset-upinstore). Formoredetails,seetheTaiwanchapter. RoamingSIMcardsfromabroad[] Recently,moreoptionshavebecomeavailablefromprovidersoutsideChina(andHongKong)thatofferreasonableroamingpricesformainlandChina.WhiletheseoffersaremoreexpensivethanlocalSIMcardsandHongKongroamingSIMcardstoo,theyalsoskipChinesecensorshipandareeasilyexpandableinvolumeandtime. TravelSIMandAirBalticCard[] AnofferisgivenoutfromTravelSIMandtheirclonesandcopiesbasedonanEstonianplatformlikeAirBalticcardandothers: 1GBroamingdatainChinafor30days:€15 3GBroamingdatainChinafor30days:€35 €0.015perMBfor365days:€1 Checktheirandotheroffersfrominternationalroamingprovidersinourallcountriessection.Roamingison4GofChinaMobileandChinaUnicom.Checktechnicalspecsofthenetworksandyourdevice. TravelSIMAsia[] Thailand-based ChinaroamingSIMsare significantlycheaper,butcome withrestrictions.TrueMoveHinThailandnowsellsthe"TravelSIMAsia",aSIMwhichincludesroaminginmultipleAsiancountries,includingChina: Starterpack:THB399 1GBfor3days:THB150,activatebydialing*115*150# "non-stop"(4GBhighspeed,128kbpsafter)for8days:THB299,activatebydialing*115*299# ThemajorrestrictionisthattheroamingpartnerisChinaMobile,whichmeansthatmanyphoneswillnotbecompatible,andthatpurchasingtheSIMnormallyrequiresregistrationinpersoninThailand.However,thisSIMisalsosoldoutsideThailand(AmazonUSstocksthestarterpackforvaryingpricesdependingontheseller-usuallyUS$17-20,anditcanbepurchasedattheApLiustreetmarketinHongKongforHK$90asofearlyDecember2017)withoutregistrationrequired,possiblybecauseit'snotintendedforuseinThailand.However,SIMspurchasedoutsideThailandcannotberegisteredtoTrueiService(onlineaccount),andcannotbetoppedupontheTrueMovewebsiteeither;athirdpartyagencymustbeused. AlsonotethatThailanddoeshaveitsowncensorshipregime;certainwebsiteswillstillbeblocked(justnotnearlyasmanyaswithalocalSIM),andifyouforsomereasonchoosetoviolateThailand'slesemajestelaws,don'texpectyourSIMtoremainfunctional. SIM2Fly[] ThisroamingSIMcardissuedbyTrue'scompetitorAISinThailandissoldalloverSEAsiaandbeyond.FromnowonitincludesChinaMobileandChinaUnicomroaminginupto4Gtoitslistofcountries. TheirAsianSIMcardwithChinaincludedcomesat399THBlistpriceandincludes4GBfor8days.1GBcanbeaddedfor2daysat119THBor4GBfor8daysat299THBbyUSSDcode.Top-upscanbemadefromabroadbymobiletopup. WhilenoChinesefirewallisenforced,thesameThairestrictionsasmentionedunderTravelSIMAsiaaboveapply.SothelifespanoftheSIMcardisverylimitedwithoutfrequenttop-ups. eSIM:MySIM[] MySIM,aFrenchMVNE offersaroamingSIMcardonChinaMobilewithoutanyrestrictionsoftheChinesefirewall: MySIMoffersareavailableasSIMcardandineSIMformat: 4GBroamingdatainChinafor10days:€16.66 Otheroptions[] FreeMobilefromFranceaddedChinaintheir"19.99€FreePlan"from2018.Youcanhave25GB4G/LTEdataeachmonthinChina(aswellasEurope,NorthAmerica,Australia,etc.).TheyuseChinaUnicomnetworkinChina. OthergoodoptionscomefromUkraineandRussiaforsmallamountsofdata: FromUkraineKyivstar250MBperdayatUAH100orLifecellwith200MBperdayatUAH55.Fordetailscheckhere. DrimSIMfromRussiawith€0.025perMBistesting4G/LTEroaminginChinatoo.Fordetailschecktheirsectionhere. Purchasing/RentingaPhoneorPortableWiFiwithdataSIM[] UCOMMobile[] UCOMMobileprovidesportableWiFirental&prepaiddataSIMsaleinChinamainland.Theyofferpay-as-you-goplanswith3or6GBforshort-termvisitoratveryhighprices.Youcanplaceanorderonlineandarrangepickup/drop-offinyourhotel.Furthermore,theyofferunlimitedVPNserviceavailabletoaccessblockedwebsites(Google,Facebooketc.)inChina. Website:http://www.ucomobile.com KlookPortableWiFiRentalsfortravellerscomingfromHongKongorTaiwan[] TheirportableWiFirentalsareavailablefortravellerscomingfromeitherofthesecountriesviaHongKongInternationalAirportorTaiwanAirports.Therouterscanbepickedupanddroppedoffatthesameairporttheywerepickedup.Theyofferunlimited4GdataatgoodratesandaccesstowebsitesrestrictedbytheGreatFirewall.YoumustordertherouterinadvanceandpayusinginternationalcreditcardsorPayPal. HongKongpickup:HK$25perdaywith'unlimited'4Gspeeds TaiwanPickup(atallairports):TW$239perdaywith500MB4Gspeeds LoyoMobile[] LoyoMobile resellsHK-andmainlandChinaSIMcardsabroadwithasubstantialpremiumandworldwidedelivery.Cross-boarderSIMcardsbyChinaUnicomHKandSIMsfromChinaUnicomareoffered.TheyofferfreeshippingtoChinaandHongKonganddelivertothelocalhotelwhereyoustay. Website:http://www.loyomobile.com Categories Asia Country CDMA 3/17 Addcategory Cancel Save CommunitycontentisavailableunderCC-BY-SAunlessotherwisenoted. Advertisement FanFeed 1 Italy 2 Spain 3 Turkey UniversalConquestWiki Let'sGoLuna!Wiki Club57Wiki FollowonIG Newsletter JoinFanLab