China's Telecom Revenue Declines 2.1% in H1 2026 as 5G Users Reach 1.288 Billion

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reported that China's telecom sector generated total revenue of 8.873 trillion yuan in the first half of 2026, a 2.1 % year‑on‑year decline. Adjusted for constant prices, total telecom traffic grew 7.7 %. Mobile phone subscriptions rose to 1.844 billion, adding 17.04 million users, with 5G subscribers reaching 1.288 billion (69.9 % of all mobile users). 5G base stations increased to 510,200, accounting for 39.1 % of all base stations.

Mobile internet traffic hit 219.7 billion GB, up 17.7 % YoY, and average monthly data usage per user rose to 23.57 GB. Fixed‑line call duration fell 20.4 % and mobile call duration fell 6.2 % year over year. Broadband users totaled 701 million, with gigabit‑level services covering 36.8 % of users, and the western region achieving the highest gigabit penetration at 38.3 %.