Introduction:
China Mobile is the world’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, with a vast 5G footprint and early commercial deployment of 5G‑Advanced (5G‑A), making it a strong option for UK organisations with teams, partners, or supply chains in Mainland China who need dependable roaming and local performance.
Service Distinction:
Network scale and reach: China’s operators operate roughly 4.5–4.7 million 5G base stations, underpinning extensive national coverage; China Mobile planned to reach about 2.8 million of those sites by end‑2025.
5G‑A leadership: Operators have brought 5G‑A to around 300 cities, and policy targets call for 75% of national mobile data traffic to run on 5G by 2027—boosting speeds, capacity, and density for business use cases.
Innovation milestones: China Mobile initiated the world’s first 5G‑A commercial deployment (Mar 2024), switched on a 400G all‑optical inter‑provincial backbone (Mar 2024), launched an “AI+” initiative (May 2024), and surpassed 1 billion mobile customers (Jun 2024).
Adoption and industry use: China counted roughly 1.15 billion 5G users by Aug 2025 (about 63% of all mobile users), with 5G integrated across 86 major industrial sectors, reflecting widespread enterprise uptake.
Coverage Analysis:
CoverageChecker helps UK businesses plan China‑facing mobility:
Where your teams go: Map your travel corridors and key cities in Mainland China, then use CoverageChecker to decide if roaming on your UK plan is sufficient or whether a local China Mobile SIM strategy is needed for critical roles. Combine this with China Mobile’s 5G/5G‑A scale to prioritise ultra‑reliable or high‑throughput sites.
Indoor vs outdoor expectations: China’s dense urban environments benefit from large‑scale 5G build‑outs; 5G‑A adds capacity and uplink performance in core districts—relevant for offices, logistics hubs, and venues.
Smarter deployment: Use our insights to determine when to rely on roaming vs. local SIMs, when to issue 5G‑first devices, and where dual‑SIM makes sense for continuity in mission‑critical teams.
Unique Offerings:
Next‑gen capabilities: China Mobile’s early 5G‑A rollout, AI initiatives, and high‑capacity transport networks (e.g., 400G backbone) support latency‑sensitive and bandwidth‑intensive workflows.
Enterprise alignment: With massive 5G adoption and industrial 5G deployments across scores of sectors, China Mobile’s scale suits manufacturers, retail supply chains, and field operations that interface with Mainland partners.
Planning for growth: National plans target 75% of traffic over 5G by 2027, signalling continued densification and performance gains in key economic zones.
User Engagement:
Check your key sites: Identify the Chinese cities and industrial parks your teams visit most; use CoverageChecker to plan device, roaming, or local‑SIM strategies per itinerary.
Compare benefits and plans: Weigh your UK provider’s China roaming against potential local SIM options for heavy users, factoring critical apps, video, and collaboration usage during travel.
Optimise rollout: Prioritise 5G devices for high‑traffic travel hubs, implement dual‑SIM for continuity, and set clear roaming policies for predictable costs.
Link to coverage checker link on partner website:
For international roaming availability by country/region on China Mobile’s international arm, see: https://global.cmlink.com/en/netCover
If China is on your roadmap, plan your connectivity with evidence. Use CoverageChecker to evaluate how your UK network performs for China travel, where China Mobile’s 5G/5G‑A scale adds value, and whether dual‑SIM or local SIMs will deliver the best reliability and cost control for your teams.
News and Updates: China Mobile highlights
China approaches 4.7 million 5G base stations by end‑September 2025, reflecting rapid densification and national infrastructure investment.
Nearly 4.5 million 5G sites as of mid‑2025, with China Mobile targeting about 2.8 million 5G sites of its own by end‑year.
5G‑A in around 300 cities and a 2027 plan aiming for 75% of national mobile data traffic on 5G networks.
5G users surpass 1.15 billion by Aug 2025 (about 63% of mobile users), with deployments spanning 86 key industries and thousands of industrial internet projects.
China Mobile milestones: first 5G‑A commercial deployment (Mar 2024), 400G all‑optical inter‑provincial backbone (Mar 2024), “AI+” initiative (May 2024), and mobile users surpassing 1 billion (Jun 2024).