China's telecom revenue falls 2.2% in first eight months, 5G users reach 70.9% penetration
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reported telecom revenue of 1.16 trillion yuan for the first eight months of 2026, a 2.2% year-on-year decline, while business volume at constant prices grew 7.6%. 5G mobile phone users reached 1.311 billion, accounting for 70.9% of all mobile users. Mobile internet traffic surged 17.3% to 297.1 billion GB, with average monthly data usage per user at 23.45 GB. Voice call minutes and SMS volumes continued to decline. 5G base stations totaled 5.195 million, representing 39.7% of all mobile base stations.
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China's Telecom Revenue Falls 2.2% in First Eight Months, MIIT Data Shows
According to data from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the country's telecommunications industry reported total revenue of 1.16 trillion yuan in the first eight months of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 2.2%. However, telecom business volume, calculated at constant prices, grew 7.6% year-on-year. The report highlights continued expansion in 5G and gigabit optical network infrastructure, with 5G mobile phone users reaching 1.311 billion, accounting for 70.9% of all mobile phone users. Fixed broadband subscribers totaled 704 million, with 263 million on gigabit-speed plans. Mobile internet data traffic surged 17.3% year-on-year to 297.1 billion GB, while average monthly data usage per user (DOU) reached 23.45 GB in August, up 12.4% year-on-year. Traditional voice call minutes continued to decline, with mobile voice calls down 6.7% and fixed-line calls down 17.6%. The number of 5G base stations reached 5.195 million, representing 39.7% of all mobile base stations. Regional data shows varying penetration rates for 5G and gigabit services across eastern, central, western, and northeastern China.
Read sourceChina's Telecom Revenue Falls 2.2% in First Eight Months of 2026, Reaching 1.16 Trillion Yuan
According to data released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on September 28, the country's telecommunications sector reported total revenue of 1.16 trillion yuan for the first eight months of 2026, a year-on-year decline of 2.2%. Despite the revenue drop, telecom business volume measured at constant prices grew 7.6%. The number of fixed broadband users reached 704 million, with 37.3% subscribing to 1000Mbps or faster services. Mobile phone users totaled 1.849 billion, of which 1.311 billion were 5G users, accounting for 70.9% of all mobile users. Mobile internet traffic surged 17.3% to 297.1 billion GB, with average monthly data usage per user reaching 23.45 GB. However, traditional voice call minutes fell 6.7% and SMS volume dropped 9.8%. Infrastructure continued to expand, with 5G base stations reaching 5.195 million, representing 39.7% of all mobile base stations. Regional data showed 5G penetration rates ranging from 70.3% in eastern China to 71.9% in central China.
Read sourceChina's Telecom Revenue Falls 2.2% in First Eight Months of 2026, MIIT Data Shows
According to data released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on September 28, the country's telecommunications business revenue totaled 1.16 trillion yuan in the first eight months of 2026, a year-on-year decrease of 2.2%. However, the total volume of telecom business, calculated at constant prices from the previous year, grew by 7.6%. Mobile internet data traffic continued to see double-digit growth, with cumulative traffic reaching 297.1 billion GB, up 17.3% year-on-year. As of the end of August, the number of mobile internet users reached 1.638 billion, a net increase of 28.58 million from the end of 2025. The average monthly data usage per mobile internet user (DOU) in August stood at 23.45 GB, a 12.4% increase year-on-year and 0.41 GB higher than the end of the previous year. The report highlights a trend of declining revenue despite increasing data consumption and user base.
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China's Telecom Revenue Falls 2.2% in First 8 Months, 5G Users Reach 70.9% Penetration
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released data on the telecommunications industry for the first eight months of 2026. Telecom business revenue totaled 1.16 trillion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 2.2%. However, telecom business volume, calculated at constant prices, grew 7.6%. The number of 5G mobile phone users reached 1.311 billion, accounting for 70.9% of all mobile phone users, a net increase of 107 million from the end of 2025. Fixed broadband users with speeds of 1000Mbps or higher reached 263 million, or 37.3% of total users. Mobile internet traffic continued to grow rapidly, with cumulative traffic reaching 297.1 billion GB, up 17.3% year-on-year. The average monthly data usage per user (DOU) in August was 23.45 GB, up 12.4% year-on-year. Voice call minutes continued to decline, with mobile voice calls down 6.7% and fixed-line calls down 17.6%. The number of 5G base stations reached 5.195 million, accounting for 39.7% of all mobile base stations. The report also provided regional breakdowns, showing that 5G and gigabit user penetration rates are increasing across all regions.
Read sourceChina's telecom revenue falls 2.2% in first eight months, 5G users hit 70.9%
According to data released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on September 28, the country's telecom business revenue totaled 1.16 trillion yuan in the first eight months of 2026, down 2.2% year-on-year. However, telecom business volume calculated at constant prices grew 7.6%. Fixed broadband subscribers reached 704 million, with 37.3% on gigabit speeds. Mobile phone users totaled 1.849 billion, of which 5G users reached 1.311 billion, accounting for 70.9% of mobile users. Mobile internet data traffic surged 17.3% to 297.1 billion GB, with average monthly usage per user (DOU) at 23.45 GB, up 12.4%. Voice call minutes continued to decline, with mobile voice calls down 6.7% and fixed-line calls down 17.6%. SMS volume fell 9.8% and SMS revenue dropped 12.4%. Infrastructure buildout continued, with 5G base stations reaching 5.195 million, accounting for 39.7% of all mobile base stations. Regional data showed eastern, central, western, and northeastern areas all saw increased 5G and gigabit penetration.
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