In a move that signals a fundamental shift in how artificial intelligence is consumed, the three major telecom carriers in the Chinese mainland—China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom—have begun selling AI token plans directly to consumers. By treating AI computing power as a utility billed similarly to monthly phone services, these operators are bridging the gap between complex cloud computing and everyday retail accessibility.
The initiative kicked off recently on May 16-17, with the Shanghai branches of all three operators launching specialized token packages. This new model allows users to purchase computing capacity as a standardized product, integrating AI usage into their existing telecommunications ecosystem.
The pricing structures vary across the three giants, offering a range of options for different user needs:
- China Mobile: In a strategic partnership with internet giant Tencent, China Mobile is offering 400,000 tokens for just 1 yuan, with the convenience of payments supported directly through phone bills.
- China Telecom: This carrier has introduced a tiered system. Personal plans start at 9.9 yuan (approximately $1.40) per month for 10 million tokens, scaling up to 49.9 yuan for 80 million. For developers and small businesses, professional tiers range from 39.9 yuan to 299.9 yuan, covering between 15 million and 150 million tokens per month.
- China Unicom: Their entry-level personal plan is priced at 15 yuan for 6 million tokens, while comprehensive business plans start at 198 yuan.
This shift comes amid an explosion in AI adoption. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, daily token usage across the country has seen a staggering thousandfold increase in just two years, surging from 100 billion in early 2024 to over 140 trillion by March 2026.
For the carriers, this is more than just a new product line; it is a strategic expansion from traditional data traffic businesses into the computing sector. The logic is a virtuous cycle: AI agents consume tokens, which pull computing power; this computing drives increased data traffic, which in turn enhances the value of the carriers' network infrastructure. Furthermore, the companies expect to generate additional revenue through enterprise services, including cybersecurity and uplink bandwidth upgrades.
Industry analysts observe that while these carrier prices may not necessarily undercut the API rates of established cloud providers, the significance lies in the delivery. This marks the first time China's telecom giants have packaged tokens as standardized, carrier-grade retail products bundled with connectivity and security.
As these plans potentially scale nationwide, the distribution channel for large language model API services may shift from cloud platforms toward the telecom ecosystem, potentially reshaping the AI service market in the Chinese mainland.
Reference(s):
Pay for AI compute like phone plan: China's carriers enter token era
cgtn.com
