China Cell ended H1 with a complete of 599 million 5G subscribers
In sum – what to know:
Income dipped, revenue lifted – China Cell posted a 0.53% year-on-year income decline to CNY543.8B, however internet revenue rose 5% to CNY84.2B amid stable subscriber development.
5G base hits 599M – The telco added 46M 5G customers in H1 2025, bringing its complete to 599M, whereas surpassing 1 billion general cell subscribers.
Accelerated AI push – China Cell superior its “AI+” technique with a proprietary MoMA framework and upgraded Jiutian mannequin matrix spanning 50+ industry-specific giant fashions.
China Cell, the world’s largest operator when it comes to subscribers, recorded working revenues of CNY543.8 billion ($75.7 billion) within the first half of the 12 months, down 0.53% in comparison with CNY546.7 billion in the identical interval the earlier 12 months, the telco stated in its earnings assertion.
The corporate’s internet revenue elevated 5% year-on-year to CNY84.2 billion. Additionally, the operator reported that income from telecommunications companies was CNY467 billion in H1, up by 0.7% year-on-year.
The telco ended the primary half of the 12 months with a complete of 599 million 5G subscribers after a internet addition of 46.01 million 5G prospects in the course of the interval. Within the cell section, the telco reached a complete of 1 billion subscribers on the finish of June 2025.
Yang Jie, chairman of China Cell, stated: “Within the first half of 2025, amid a posh and irritating exterior surroundings marked by numerous challenges, we pulled collectively as one stable staff and capitalized on the important thing alternatives arising from digital intelligence transformation. Guided by our “1-2-2-5” technique, we’ve comprehensively superior the “Three Main Packages”, extending crucial reforms and fostering innovation. We’ve got additionally accelerated enterprise transformation and upgrades by shifting our development engines, and pursued operational excellence by precision and environment friendly administration practices.”
Within the discipline of AI, China Cell stated it has positioned itself as a supplier, aggregator and operator, accelerating tempo in AI innovation and scale utility.
“We’ve got quickly strengthened our “AI+” core capabilities. We’ve got developed the Combination of Fashions and Brokers, MoMA. Our Jiutian general-purpose and specialised giant mannequin matrix has undergone a big improve, and we’ve lined greater than 50 {industry} giant fashions. In addition to, we’ve additional promoted “AI+” ecosystem convergence. We’ve got launched the AI innovation group and harnessed the strengths of central state-owned enterprises and the commercial chain to create an modern national-level open-source platform for AI,” the telco stated.
AI is already ushering in a brand new period of technological and societal transformation, and its fusion with human exercise — what China Cell calls “carbon-silicon symbiosis” — will outline the subsequent wave of business growth, stated Yang Jie throughout his keynote deal with on the MWC Shanghai 2025 occasion.
The boss of China Cell opened his keynote by framing AI as the most recent technological power following what he referred to as the “Web+” and “5G+” eras. He stated we at the moment are coming into the “AI+” period, by which synthetic intelligence serves as a strategic driver of financial and industrial transformation. With AI capabilities now matching or surpassing human-level efficiency in areas like language understanding and picture classification, the manager emphasised the rising function of “silicon-based life” — a metaphor for clever machines.
The chief additionally described a future the place sensors, processors, reminiscence and management techniques will work collectively like a nervous system. Built-in into good units, automobiles and robots, these silicon-based brokers will change into ubiquitous and function decision-making instruments embedded throughout society. In keeping with Yang, these clever techniques will ultimately outnumber people, turning into very important elements of the social workforce and information financial system.
In his speech, the China Cell government additionally argued that the digital and bodily worlds are on a path of deep convergence. On this futuristic state of affairs, AI brokers will at all times be on-line and can more and more map and simulate the actual world, increasing the scope of human actions in manufacturing, communication and analysis. This fusion, Yang famous, will speed up innovation cycles and enhance financial effectivity, paving the best way for an “clever financial system.”
