Which Chinese carrier has the best network? Because China restricts internet access, business travellers and tourists heading to mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau who want to use LINE, Facebook or Google Maps generally need a VPN, roaming on their home number, or a data SIM/Wi-Fi router that already handles this for them.

Network quality in China ultimately comes down to which carrier you use. There are currently three major carriers, and because they hold different spectrum allocations and run on different network standards, the same phone may not work equally well across all three within the country. So before choosing a carrier, it is worth confirming which bands your device supports. Today we run through the background of China's three major carriers and the 4G bands they support, making it easy to compare them and choose the right China data SIM!

China's three major carriers

China Mobile

China Mobile

China Mobile was established in April 2000 and is China's largest mobile carrier, as well as the world's largest telecom operator by market value. Its business spans fixed-line and mobile networks, internet services and more. As the leading carrier in China, China Mobile offers the most stable signal, and most phones today support its network bands.

China Telecom

China Telecom

China Telecom was established in September 2000 as a state-owned carrier, similarly offering fixed-line, mobile, satellite and internet services. Its signal tends to be somewhat less stable, and its device requirements are a little unusual — even phones purchased locally in mainland China occasionally do not support China Telecom's network. That said, this rarely affects ordinary travellers, since most do not register a local number or buy a phone while there.

China Unicom

China Unicom became a full-service carrier in June 2008 following its merger with China Netcom. Its signal is generally stable and reliable, and because it uses the same 3G standard (WCDMA) as Taiwan, even a phone that does not support China's 4G bands can still get online via 3G on China Unicom.

4G bands supported by China's carriers

The chart below compares the 4G bands supported by the three major carriers. Taiwanese carriers currently partner mainly with China Mobile and China Unicom for international roaming.

What is a "no-VPN-needed" China data SIM?

Because Hong Kong itself is not subject to mainland China's internet restrictions, prepaid data roaming SIMs issued by China Mobile Hong Kong or China Unicom Hong Kong let you get online in mainland China without needing a VPN at all. Providers on the market build on partnerships with these two carriers to offer more convenient mobile data across China, Hong Kong and Macau — just pop the SIM in on arrival and start browsing without restriction.

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