Getting Internet access in China is easier than it may seem, but there is important information that you should know. The purpose of this article is to help you choose the best company for your home or phone. In the end, you will find a section on travelers.
Basic information on the internet in China
- In China many websites and apps are blocked: Access to Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube is restricted in China. Click here to find out how to solve this problem.
- Internet in China can be extremely slow: Because of the filters and the blocking system, when you go to non-chinese websites, browsing becomes tedious due to the slow speed. If you only want to visit Chinese websites most internet connections work pretty fine though.
- Accessing the internet in China is relatively cheap: Although a few years ago the internet in China was relatively expensive, nowadays prices have fallen, and for a basic connection of 50Mb you won’t pay more than 100 Yuan per month.
- Most public Chinese connections are not safe: Be sure to have a good antivirus before connecting your laptop to a public Chinese network if you don’t want to end up with your computer full of rubbish or hacked.
Internet at home
Which company should I chose?
Even if in china exist numerous broadband providers, the reality is that three state-own companies, China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom, have the monopoly of internet providing service.
I’ll even say that basically the two main companies, China Unicom and China Telecom, control the market. While China Unicom provides the internet to the northern provinces, China Telecom is much more common in the southern provinces.
In any event, in large cities it is already possible to find China Mobile (through the acquisition of China Tietong) and the other two companies.
Other private providers with very competitive prices also exist. My suggestion is to don’t even consider minor companies regardless of the price.
The small companies use the infrastructure built by the state-owned companies (mainly China Telecom) and, for some reason, non-Chinese websites are even slower.
Small cafés usually use these types of companies, and that’s why it can be difficult to do things on the internet when connecting to their Wi-Fi.
However, there are certain exceptions, such as 歌华 (Gehua, also known as FlyTV), a company that provides cable television and Internet (you can get only the internet if you want). It usually offers relatively fast connections.
How to contract an internet connection in China?
It’s really easy, just go to the closest shop (you can ask your landlord where it is) with your passport and money and ask for it.
You can also request this on the webpages of the main companies (their websites are only available in Chinese). Below are the links: China Unicom, China Telecom, China Mobile.
How much it costs?
The price will depend on the speed, the city where you live, the provider of your choice, how many months you pay for and whether it includes associated mobile phone line cards. The prices of these companies are relatively similar (if we keep into account the speed). Here you find some examples (in Beijing, May 2019):
China Mobile 50Mbps 1 year: 1,080 Yuan.
China Mobile 200Mbps 1 year: 1,680 Yuan.
China Unicom 200Mbps 1 year: 1,480 Yuan.
China Unicom 500Mbps 1 year: 1,980 Yuan.
China Telecom 50 Mbps 1 year: 880 Yuan
China Telecom 100Mbps: 980 Yuan.
GeHua 110Mbps 1 year: 980 Yuan.
Important: Normally, your actual speed will be much less than the speed that you purchase. If you pay for 100 Mbps, expect 10-20 Mbps in reality.
Other options
China Unicom – and probably also the other companies – offer a pre-paid USB-SIM modem service so you can get internet wherever you are. Even if the price per MB is quite reasonable, it’s quite slow.
If you live on campus, the university will provide its own network, which will be much cheaper than the “free” market offers. Normally works find except during the night when it becomes terribly slow. The reason is that during the night most of the students come back to the dorms and collapse the line by watching TV shows or playing video games.
Do they provide a router with WiFi?
Not always, it will depend on the provider and in the city where you live. Sometimes they only will provide you a modem and a dial-up connection (they have to give you also a user name and password), so if you want wi-fi you have to buy a router (100-200 Yuan) and then configure it with your user name and password.
Some suggestions
- When you open an internet line in China they will not close it until you say so. It doesn’t matter if you get a contract for one year, or you don’t pay. They are going to count the months you owe them and next time you want internet you must pay it (of course with the appropriate fine for the delay).
- Normally, they will offer you prepaid mobile phone SIM cards associated with the plan. Do not accept it if you aren’t going to use them. If you don’t use them for a few months or you run out of credit, they will close your internet home connection until you recharge the SIM card. Getting the internet back can take days and a thousand calls.
- Even if we are talking about huge companies present all over the country, their offices work nearly independently. For some procedures like closing a line or changing the name on the contract, you have to go to the office in charge of your area. Thus make sure to know where your office is.
- Sometimes (depending on the city and on the provider), you can’t open a line in an apartment where the previous tenant has opened one and left without closing it. So remember to ask about it when you rent an apartment or room. Also, if you aren’t the person who signed the contract, changing the name on the contract may take some months and a painful bureaucratic process.
Internet in your cellphone
If broadband Internet is slow in China (when you look at non-Chinese webpages), I think you can guess how slow 3G and 4G are.
Remember that you will only be able to send messages with WhatsApp, Facebook, or Line or check Google if you have a VPN active on your cellphone.
Which company should I choose?
Below you’ll find a table to give you an idea of the different providers. The table shows the Beijing rates of the three main operators.
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIM price | 0¥ | ||
| Basic Monthly Plan | 88¥ | ||
| Free Data | 20GB | ||
| Free Calls | 50 min | ||
| Extra Data | 15¥ / 3GB | ||
| Extra Calls | 0.19¥ / min |
As you can see from the table, there aren’t big differences between the three operators. In our experience, you should take the following into account when choosing:
- China Mobile: This company has the most stores and places to buy top-ups across the country. It usually offers easy-to-understand plans. However, get used to having the worst prices, and sometimes it has compatibility issues with foreign telephones.
- China Unicom: This company has a good network of stores in northern China, good compatibility with foreign telephones, usually has the best deals for data, and lets you have multiple SIM cards associated with the same plan. However, you have to be careful with the fine print of the plans.
- China Telecom: This company is particularly popular in southern China, and usually has good deals for calls and data. Be careful with compatibility with foreign telephones.
How to activate/change a data plan
To change your data and call plan, the easiest thing to do is to go to one of the official stores of one of the three companies with your passport.
To activate or change a data plan, you can either go to the offices of the telephone company and request them to activate it for you, or you can do so by calling the information number (all companies have customer service in English):
China Mobile: 10086
China Unicom: 10010
China Telecom: 10001
Important information on mobile data in China
If you are going to use a phone purchased abroad, you should know that:
- Your phone must be unlocked: If you purchased a telephone through a company, you have to check that it’s unlocked, otherwise you won’t be able to put a Chinese SIM card in it.
- The 2G, 3G and 4G networks are somewhat different in China: Non-Chinese telephones often don’t work or operate on a slower network than usual (for example 3G instead of 4G). You can check the website here willmyphonework.netto find out whether your phone works in China or not.
There are multiple ways to top up your telephone card:
- Online:You can top up your SIM card on mobile operators’ webpages. You will need Chinese online banking, and more importantly, will need to be able to browse their chaotic webpages, which are only in Chinese. China Unicom is the only one that offers a simple webpage in English for buying top-ups.
- WeChat and Alipay: If you have a Alipay or WeChat account, you can easily buy top-ups.
- Top-up cards: Last of all, you can always go to one of the stores with the logo of your operator and by a top-up card (充值卡, Chōngzhí kǎ). They contain instructions on how to use them in both Chinese and English on the backside of the card.
Internet in China for travelers
Getting internet access in China is quite easy. You will find free wi-fi in almost every coffee shop, airport, hotel, and hostel.
The problem is not to get access while the speed of the connection. Most places offer an extremely slow connection, sometimes even unable to load a foreign webpage. If you have a VPN that works in China, in addition to allowing you to access websites and apps blocked in China, it can help you to speed the connection for foreign webpages. However, sometimes it isn’t enough.
If you want to use the internet on your cellphone you can just buy a SIM card at the China Mobile China Unicom or China Telecom office (you will need your passport). There, they will make you choose a data plan and how much you want to top-up. 100 – 200 Yuan should be enough to buy the number, a data and calls plan, and some money for calls.
If you don’t want to waste time looking for a store and trying to make yourself understood by the vendor, you can always easily by SIM cards online. Below are some of the best options (some work in multiple countries):
| SIM card | VPN* | Data | Calls | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Unicom | Yes | 2GB | 0 min | 90 days | 37.95 USD |
| China Unicom Hong Kong | No | 3GB | data only | 30 days | 20.95 USD |
| Travel SIM | No | 3GB | 0 min | 30 days | 39 USD |
| One SIM Card | Yes | 1GB | 0 min | 30 days | 52.9 USD |
| World SIM | Yes | 4GB | 0 min | 8 days | 42.95 USD |
| Flexi Roam | Yes | 1GB | VoIP | 15 days | 27.95 USD |
*Price of a VPN for one month included (12.95 USD) – Must be purchased separately
That’s all for today! Feel free to share with us your experience with the Chinese internet in the comments below.
Frequently asked questions
But always be on guard for scams!
Photo Credits: Cover Photo by Martinelle on Pixabay
China Cellphone Photo by geralt on Pixabay
I got my broadband from China Telecom in 2015.
20 Mb, 990 RMB/year or 90 RMB/month
(plus a SIM-card plan for 20 RMB/month to my iPad)
There are faster options now, but in our building the maximum speed is around 20 Mb anyway, and the plans get more and more expensive. So, I’m sticking to the old plan.
It works pretty well, but I’ve learnt that you have to call them and make a complaint when the internet is slow. They will tell you to switch off your router and turn it back on after 5 minutes. It gets faster. But I haven’t figured out when or why they slow down your connection.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there, thank you for your feedback : )
Is it possible to apply for or just pay extra to get a faster connection out of China if I create a company there. I mean a lot of companies couldn’t live with slow or poor quality connections but they still work out of China….so I expect there must be a way.
Is that anything you know about?
This is a good and relevant blog by the way!
/Ole
Some small companies use HK SIM cards, but is a quite expensive option and I’m not sure that is faster. Also most good VPN providers offer solutions for companies with private IPs or you can create your own VPN. Finally there’s the government controlled VPNs but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.
Do you have any experience about best internet provider in Shenzhen? Also as you mentioned Unicom is much better for mobile, Can you please lemme know which one should I choose China Mobile Vs China Unicom (for mobile) and China Telecom Vs China Unicom (house internet). Thanks in advance.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi, we don’t have any direct experience with house internet in Shenzhen. What I can say is that China Unicom is more common in the North, then maybe it’s best to avoid it in the South.
Also, I had China Mobile on my phone and I never had any problem in Shenzhen
Been living in China for a few weeks now and just started using ExpressVPN. Speeds are surprisingly fast when I connect to the right server. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this sooner
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Michael,
thank you for the feedback!
i already take the china unicom connection for one year. i have used it one month. but now i need to change my apartment. so what to do if i want to cancel my service? and if there is any possibility to get back money?
You should go to the china unicom office in your area to cancel it. If I remember well you can get the money back but I’m not sure
What would be the best company to go for in Xiamen? All my neighbors wifi networks seem to be called “ChinaNet-…..”. Which company is this? I’m guessing it’s the best one if everyone else is using it!
Thanks
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Cassie,
none of us have ever lived in Xiamen. Ask to the locals!
Hello,
Do you know if it is possible to get home internet by the month in Beijing? We have extended our lease but our year long internet contract has finished.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yes, it shall be possible
Hi Guys!!, I’m in beijing and i’m trying to find a good company, you still recomend Gehua?, or China mobile and China Telecom will be ok? !Regards!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi George, they shall all be ok
Hello which is the best internet company in Shanghai? I am looking for the best speed it says 50mbs and how do you sign up,
Many thanks
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Chek, please read the article!
There is so much wrong about this article I don’t even know where to begin. I will do my best:
“It’s really easy: just go to the closest shop with your passport and money and ask for it.”
I have never been to one of the shops ever and have had internet with several companies.
“China Unicom 2Mb 1 year 1700 Yuan.”
You sure? I am paying around 1400 for 1 year 100Mb (actually the speed check went to 125 when tested)
“there is no way to get a real 10Mb connection in China”
My work has 4x 100Mb lines, my home has 100Mb, everyone I know in BJ has at least 50Mb.
“Do they provide a router with wi-fi?
No (the only exception is GeHua)”
China Unicom gave me one, it says China Unicom on it.
“When you open an internet line in China they will no close it until you say so.”
The last company I was on closed it by themselves just fine.
“If broadband internet is slow in China, I think you can guess how slow can be the 3G and 4G.”
4G is super fast here everywhere I go. I never have any kind of issues at all and can even tether to several people at the same time with everyone flying.
“You can’t open a line in an apartment where the previous tenant has opened one and left without closing it.”
Sure you can, I had two internet lines in my apartment for a while because of this. We just let the other one run out and used our new one in the meantime.
Thank you for the comment, the article need an update and I will add your comments (some parts where written a while ago). Anyway I don’t agree with what you say about 4G in China. 4G in China is really slow if you compare with other countries, I’m not talking about visiting foreigner websites, also Chinese websites load slow when you are in crowded areas like the center of Beijing.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yep, this article needs an update!
And many of the things you said are spot on. However, claiming that everybody in Beijing has at least 50Mb is just plain wrong.
Maybe on the plan it’s written “50 Mb”, but in reality the speed is much lower. I mean, not even in London the average speed of ADSL is 50 Mb…
Is it possible that neither China Telecom nor China Unicom provide Internet for my home situated within the 4Th ring road , Beijing? Has that happened to anyone? I would like to conect my IPTV box but the other providers that my compound management has sugested cannot get the box to load to 2%. That sucks.
I’m going to Shenzhen in about a week. Seems China mobile is my best bet. But I will be staying around cities on the first 3 days and then suburbs on the last 3 days. Please recommend…..I am feeling C.Telecom then change to C.Mobile on the last 3 days.
Don’t make your life harder, China Mobile is fine anywhere in China
Just arrived 10 days a go in nanjing !!can anyone please tell me ,what is the best Internet here ??
Thank you
Normaly in south China, China mobile and telecom are the best. But don’t spect big differences
Does anyone know who the provider is in Shangrao, Jiangxi? I’m guessing it’s China Telecom but I’m curious,
Thanks
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
CHina Telecom shall be ok
I am in Shenyang & have tried 3 ISP’s. China Unicom seems to be the best by far. They are in the process of upgrading. Our building isnt completed yet, but their old service is still much better than the other cheap ISP’s we tried. I can use my magicjack (internet phone) to call the US & usually without much trouble now.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yep, in Northern China usually CHina Unicom is OK
What is the best internet in Shanyang, China in the North East?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
I guess same as for Beijing
Contemplating establishing education consultancy business in Wuhan, Hubei – thinking of StrongVPN or ExpressVPN and I wondered if you might have any input which is best to buy/license etc. Secondly, if it works out probably purchase a laptop for Tina (lady in Wuhan who speaks Mandarin and English). I wondered what is the possible cost in China/Wuhan of one with say 4GB RAM and 200GB hard drive (or are they now mostly SSD drives now?). I guess I’ll find out problems of starting business when I visit later this year but any input/advice re potential problems or how to contact media/newspapers etc. gratefully received – many thanks. Originally from UK now living in San Diego. David
David I will suggest you to get ExpressVPN better than StrongVPN. A laptop will cost you around 4-5.000 Yuan
Hello,
Is the internet in China steel the same until now ?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Yes
I live in Wenzhou ( Zhejiang province) and my question is…is it possible to play games online-multiplayer( call of duty:ghosts, titanfall, fifa 14)…and which internet provider you can recommend me for this purpose.
Hi, I think there’s no big problems to play online games (my colleagues quite often play world of Warcraft), I don’t think in Zheijang there are many options to chose an Internet provider, but China Telecom or China Mobile should be fine.
Are you sure you don’t confuse megabytes (MB) with megabits (Mb)? The former is eight times the amount of data of the later. Data volumes are usually measured in the former, while the speeds in the later. Also the volumes can be in millions of bytes as well as in the “mibytes” (MiB), that is, multiplies of 1048576 of bytes (which is a round number in binary), but that’s just a detail that will cost you “only” 5% of your money if not paid attention to.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
yup, speed is measured in Megabit (Mb) while data volumes in Megabyte (MB), so you’re technically right: at the end of the article, when we talk about datas for cell phones, we should have written “MB” instead of “Mb.”
We’ll change it ASAP, thanks for being so engineer : P
I have a hard time believing your speeds since I am using an internet connection with 60-70 Mb (Megabits) and the landlord pays 1200 for 3 years… Please explain how you got those numbers or re-check them.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
China is big and conditions may change greatly, even from a neighborhood to another as there are many variable in place. If you can reach 60 Mb, good for you, however we never saw these speeds in person!
I’ve never seen those speeds either. Surfing anything other than Chinese sites i generally get between 5-20 kbps, it’s worse than dial-up back in the day. I pay 170 kuai a month. For Chinese sites i can get around 1-2 MB/s at non-peak times (before 6 pm or so).
Yes this is what Chinanet is about, anyway VPNs sometimes helps to bust the speed surfing non chinese websites
I have been living in beijing for 3 months and china connections get up to around 2.5MB/s and with VPN foreign connections can get up to 1.5MB/s.
VPN has been working awkwardly in the past 3 months. I have all of the following VPNs: VyprVPN, ExpressVPN and IP Vanish. VyprVPN would be rated 3/5. ExpressVPN would be 4/5. IPVanish was 5/5 for the first month, 2/5 for the second month, 5/5 for the third month. ExpressVPN is never mindblowingly FAST, but it connects 95% of the itme. IPVanish can get you up to your max speed you get on china websites but I believe the china firewall caught on to some of the proxy servers that they use so for the entire month of november it was basically useless. It was only until 2 weeks ago that IPVanish renewed their IP or whatever VPN services do.
I work late nights and have noticed a pattern in the internet speeds. Right past 3AM till 9AM, internet is blazing fast with VPN. 10AM till around 5PM, VPN has a hard time even connecting (YouTube videos for example would only load in 144p versus 480p during good times.). 6PM till 12AM is all about luck.
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi there,
thank you for the detailed feedback! What you say reflects our experience: Express may not always be the fastest, but in the longterm is usually the most reliable