China Telecommunications Corporation
| Company type | State-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | April 27, 1995 |
| Headquarters | Beijing , China |
Area served | China, Philippines (through subsidiary) |
| Products | Fixed-line telephone services, mobile network services, broadband internet |
| Owner | Chinese government |
China Telecommunications Corporation (), operating under the trade name China Telecom, is a state-owned telecommunication enterprise based in China. It ranks as the largest provider of fixed-line telephone services and holds the position of the third-largest mobile network operator within the country.
The group encompasses three publicly traded entities: China Telecom Corporation Limited (), China Communications Services Corporation Limited (), and Besttone Holding Co., Ltd. ().
History
Initially established as a governmental agency under the , it was officially registered on 27 April 1995 as Directorate General of Telecommunications, P&T, China, adopting "China Telecom" as its commercial identity.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag and provided broadband internet to over 38 million customers, representing roughly 62% (46 Gbit/s) of China's total internet bandwidth.<ref> On 2 June 2008, China Telecommunications Corporation declared its intention to purchase the nationwide CDMA business and related assets from China Unicom for , thereby acquiring 43 million mobile subscribers.<ref> The acquisition was funded with for the listed unit and for the non-listed portion.<ref>
On 7 January 2009, China Telecommunications Corporation was granted a CDMA 2000 license to develop its presence in the 3G telecommunications market.<ref>
U.S. sanctions
In November 2020, then-U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order barring American investors from holding shares in companies affiliated with the People's Liberation Army, including China Telecom. This led to the delisting of China Telecom from the New York Stock Exchange in January 2021.
Subsequently, in December 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiated proceedings to revoke China Telecom's authorization to operate within the United States due to national security concerns. The FCC formally rescinded this license in October 2021. By March 2022, China Telecom's U.S. subsidiary, China Telecom (Americas) Corp, was officially designated as a national security threat by the FCC. In December 2024, the United States Department of Commerce intensified restrictions targeting China Telecom’s cloud services and internet routing activities within U.S. territory.
Consolidation and Growth
On 2 June 2008, the company declared its intention to purchase the CDMA operations and infrastructure of China Unicom for a cash consideration of , aiming to evolve into a comprehensive telecommunications operator.
This strategic move ushered in a transformative phase within the telecommunications industry in China, fostering heightened market competition.
Designated by the Chinese Government as an investor to deliver telecommunications services in the Philippines, China Telecom was named the 'provisional' telecom provider following a government-organized bidding process on November 7, 2018. Due to restrictions capping foreign ownership at 40%, China Telecom, through its parent company, collaborated with local enterprises Udenna Corporation (which owns Phoenix Petroleum) and Chelsea Logistics under the franchise of Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc, collectively known as the Mislatel consortium. The Philippine National Telecommunications Commission officially confirmed this selection on 20 November after disqualifying competing bids.
On 8 July 2019, Mislatel adopted the brand name Dito Telecommunity and secured its operating license. The company officially began commercial services on 8 March 2021.
Subsidiaries
- Besttone Holding (58.45%, excluding shares owned by China Telecom)
- China Communications Services
- China Telecom
- Dito Telecommunity (holding a 40% interest)
Internet Traffic Rerouting Incident
On 8 April 2010, approximately 15% of international Internet traffic was redirected through Chinese servers by China Telecom for a duration of 18 minutes. This rerouting affected commercial platforms such as Dell, IBM, Microsoft, and Yahoo!, along with websites affiliated with the U.S. government and military. China Telecom refuted any allegations of deliberate Internet traffic hijacking.
See also
- Communications in China
- Telecommunications industry in China
- List of largest companies by revenue
- List of telephone operating companies
- List of telecommunications regulatory bodies
External links
- Pages with reference errors
- Articles with short description
- Telecommunications companies of China
- Government-owned companies of China
- Internet service providers of China
- Mobile phone companies of China
- Chinese companies established in 1995
- Telecommunications companies established in 1995
- Companies based in Beijing
- Chinese brands
- Government-owned telecommunications companies
- Corporate scandals
- Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
- Defence companies of the People's Republic of China