China Mobile

China Mobile Limited

File:China Mobile logo.svg Logo of China Mobile
Company type	Public (state-owned enterprise)
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1997
Headquarters	Beijing , China
Area served	Mainland China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Singapore
Products	Mobile voice and multimedia services, internet services, broadband ISP
Owner	China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. (majority shareholder)
Number of employees	450,000 (2024)
Parent	China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd.
Website	www.chinamobileltd.com

China Mobile serves as the brand name for both China Mobile Limited and its principal shareholder, China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd., a state-owned telecommunications enterprise based in China. The company delivers mobile voice and multimedia services through a vast network spanning mainland China and Hong Kong. As of June 2021, China Mobile stood as the largest wireless provider in China, boasting 945.50 million subscribers. In Forbes' 2023 Global 2000 list, it was ranked at number 25.

China Mobile Limited is publicly traded on the Shanghai and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. It holds the distinction of being the largest mobile network operator worldwide by subscriber count and leads the telecommunications sector globally in revenue.

By July 2025, China Mobile Limited’s market capitalization was estimated to be around US$240 billion.

History

Founded in 1997 under the name China Telecom (Hong Kong) Limited, China Mobile originated from the 1999 division of China Telecommunications Corporation. It has continued to offer mobile communication services since then.

In May 2008, China Mobile expanded its portfolio by acquiring China Tietong, a fixed-line telecommunications provider and the third-largest broadband ISP in China at that time, thereby broadening its focus beyond mobile to include internet services.

October 2014 saw China Mobile enter into a $970 million framework agreement with Nokia for deliveries scheduled between 2014 and 2015.

As a participant in the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund—established in 2014—China Mobile contributes to efforts aimed at decreasing China's reliance on foreign semiconductor suppliers.

In December 2021, citing national security concerns raised by Canadian authorities, China Mobile declared its withdrawal from operations within Canada.

U.S. sanctions

In November 2020, an executive order issued by President Donald Trump prohibited American investments in companies associated with the People's Liberation Army, including China Mobile. Following this, the New York Stock Exchange halted trading and initiated the delisting process for China Mobile shares in early 2021, which led to declines in stock value. After a temporary suspension of this action, delisting resumed, prompting China Mobile to plan capital raising efforts of up to US$8.8 billion ahead of a listing on the Shanghai stock exchange.

In March 2022, the Federal Communications Commission identified China Mobile’s U.S. subsidiary as a threat to national security. In 2025, the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party commenced an investigation and issued subpoenas related to these security concerns. By June 2025, the FCC reported non-cooperation from China Mobile during its probe into potential sanctions violations and indicated that fines could be imposed.

Operations in Russia

Despite international sanctions imposed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China Mobile has continued its business activities within Russia alongside other prominent Chinese companies. The firm is also accused of facilitating Russian propaganda efforts amid the conflict. According to Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU), surveillance equipment from Hikvision and Dahua Technology—companies partly owned by China Mobile—was used to collect intelligence on critical infrastructure and military deployments, including during Russian missile strikes on Kyiv on 2 January 2024.

Ownership and control

China Mobile operates as a state-owned enterprise under the direct supervision of the Chinese government and is publicly traded on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It commands a dominant position in China's mobile telecommunications market, capturing nearly 70% of market share, significantly outpacing rivals such as China Unicom and China Telecom. The company benefits from considerable government protection, though it is also subject to regular regulatory oversight and intervention.

The governance structure is anchored by China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. (previously known as CMCC), a state-owned holding entity that fully owns China Mobile (HK) Group Limited, which in turn holds over 70% ownership of China Mobile itself; the remainder is held by public shareholders. Founded in 2000, CMCC continues to serve as the parent organization as of 2019. China Mobile is designated as a "core" central state-owned enterprise, with oversight provided by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC).

Finances

China Mobile’s financial performance for fiscal years ending December 31 reflects consistent growth, with revenues rising from HKD 873 billion in 2018 to HKD 1,128 billion projected for 2024. Net profits increased from HKD 140 billion in 2018 to an estimated HKD 150 billion in 2024. Total asset value expanded from HKD 1,752 billion in 2018 to HKD 2,243 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, employee headcount has remained relatively steady at around 450,000 personnel.

	Revenue (HKD billions)	Net income (HKD billions)	Total assets (HKD billions)	Employees (thousands)
2018	873	140	1,752	459
2019	846	121	1,822	456
2020	863	121	2,049	454
2021	1,022	140	2,252	450
2022	1,090	146	2,173	451
2023	1,115	146	2,193	452
2024	1,128	150	2,243	455

Rural services

China Mobile has been instrumental in advancing the Connecting Every Village Project initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in 2004. This initiative aimed to broaden telecommunications and internet connectivity throughout rural regions of China. The company contributed both infrastructure development and financial support, enabling broadband availability to reach approximately 135 million rural households by the end of 2019.

With a longstanding leadership position in rural markets, China Mobile achieved coverage encompassing 97% of China's population by 2006 and has consistently expanded its rural subscriber base since then. Its rural-focused offerings include an agricultural information platform that facilitates product trading, provides access to market pricing data, supports wire transfers, and enables banking transactions such as withdrawals and payments—thereby reinforcing its presence while fostering economic growth in these areas.

Overseas activities

China Mobile entered international markets beginning in 2007 through its acquisition of Paktel in Pakistan, subsequently launching the Zong brand there in 2008. In 2013, the company attempted to expand into Myanmar by partnering with Vodafone to pursue telecom licenses; however, this initiative was eventually discontinued.

Elimination of Digital Barriers

In 2023, China Mobile enhanced its digital wallet functionality by allowing users to complete payments through scanning WeChat QR codes, promoting greater interoperability among major technology platforms in China.

Mainland China

By 2007, China Mobile provided mobile services under multiple brand names within Mainland China. Over time, these individual brands were gradually consolidated into a single unified identity known as And by 2013. This brand features a logo combining an exclamation mark, the Chinese symbol for "peace" (), and the English word "and".

GoTone

( "Global Connect"): primary subscription brand

M-zone

( "Dynamic Area"): premium prepaid option aimed at younger consumers

Easyown

( "Travel across China"): entry-level prepaid service targeting rural regions

G3

3G service utilizing the TD-SCDMA technology

and!和

4G/LTE service operating on TD-LTE technology

Hong Kong

CMHK, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Mobile, delivers services based on GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+ (MVNO), FD-LTE, and TD-LTE technologies within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Pakistan

China Mobile’s presence in Pakistan operates under the brand Zong, managed by its subsidiary China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak).

United Kingdom

In December 2017, China Mobile launched the MVNO service CMLink in the UK, focusing on the Chinese community including visitors and students. The service plans include complimentary calls to China Mobile numbers within China.

Singapore

In June 2020, China Mobile introduced CMLink as an MVNO in Singapore using Singtel’s network infrastructure. This offering targets Chinese residents and visitors, providing free calls to China Mobile phones in mainland China.

Network

China Mobile maintains an extensive GSM network that spans all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, directly governed municipalities in mainland China, and Hong Kong. Data services utilize GPRS technology.

3G

Operating under the brand "G3", China Mobile controls approximately 70% of China's overall mobile market but holds a smaller fraction of the 3G segment. By May 2012, it had accumulated close to 60 million 3G subscribers—roughly 9% of its total base—up from 3% in 2010. The network employs the TD-SCDMA standard, co-developed by China Mobile, and by 2010 covered all four centrally administered municipalities as well as most prefecture-level cities.

4G

Promoted as "and和", since 2010 China Mobile has been rolling out pilot TD-LTE networks with intentions for broader metropolitan deployment. These networks were operational by May 2012. Early iPhone models were incompatible due to chipset constraints; nevertheless, negotiations commenced in 2012 to introduce the iPhone 5 on China Mobile’s network. The iPhone 5c and 5s became available through the carrier in January 2014.

5G

China Mobile is actively advancing its 5G infrastructure. In 2023, Huawei secured about 52% of China Mobile’s 5G contracts—estimated at over 45,000 base stations—highlighting Huawei’s significant role as a primary infrastructure provider.

Everest

China Mobile demonstrated its network capabilities in extreme conditions by providing mobile connectivity on Mount Everest during both 2003 and 2007.

Spratly Isles coverage

In May 2011, China Mobile expanded its network reach to include the disputed Spratly Islands, thereby extending its strategic coverage area.

See also

• List of largest companies by revenue
• List of mobile network operators
• List of mobile network operators of the Americas
• List of mobile network operators of the Asia Pacific region
• List of mobile network operators of the Middle East and Africa