State-owned telecom operators have lowered Internet rates and raised broadband speed, according to MIIT. (Photo : www.mobilephone.co.in)
State-owned telecom companies have reportedly reduced the Internet price for both fixed broadband and mobile data, China’s regulator announced as reported by crienglish.cn.
Zhang Feng, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that the reduction has come after months of efforts and negotiation with the companies.
"Rates for 50 and 100 megabytes bandwidths were reduced by 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively," Zhang said. "For the remaining bandwidths, speed has been raised, without raising price. For the mobile Internet rate, three operators have released various combo packages ranging from 49 to 60 yuan per month. By using the combo packages, users can enjoy 2 gigabytes of Internet data each month."
In May, the State Council released a document which required state-owned telecom operators to increase broadband speed and lower the rate.
Telecom operators have also adopted measures to lower the international roaming and data rates by at least 80 percent on average.
During the press conference, Zhang also clarified that the industry regulator has not taken any action toward the telecom companies' plan for consolidation.
Under the proposed 13th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development, China is expected to promote reforms in the telecom sector and in the next five years, open it to private investors.
Following Premier Li Keqiang's call for cheaper and faster Internet services in May, the three state-owned telecom carriers have announced plans to cut mobile data prices and increase data speeds.
China Mobile, the country's largest wireless carrier, said it would reduce mobile data prices by 35 percent or more by the end of 2015, while China Unicom would reduce prices by at least 20 percent per megabyte of data. China Telecom, the smallest among the three, has pledged to slash mobile data prices by 30 percent.
