China’s major telecom operators are accelerating efforts to commercialize artificial intelligence by introducing token-based pricing models, signaling a strategic shift from traditional bandwidth services to AI-driven platforms aimed at mass-market adoption.
State-owned carrier China Telecom on Sunday unveiled a range of trial token subscription plans, offering entry-level packages priced at 9.9 yuan ($1.37) per month for 10 million tokens. The initiative targets both individual users and enterprises, with small businesses and developers able to access packages of up to 150 million monthly tokens for 39.9 yuan. The structure mirrors conventional mobile data plans, but replaces internet traffic with metered AI computing usage.
At the same time, China Mobile has rolled out a universal token service in Shanghai, designed for both consumer and workplace scenarios. The service enables users to access multiple AI platforms under a single account, with charges integrated into mobile billing systems. In partnership with Tencent Holdings, China Mobile also introduced an AI-native workspace platform offering 400,000 tokens per yuan, allowing users to switch seamlessly between different AI models under a unified pricing framework.
Industry analysts say the move reflects a broader transformation underway among telecom operators. Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, noted that operators are evolving from connectivity providers into integrated AI service platforms, combining computing infrastructure, large language models, intelligent agents and service gateways.
Unlike AI startups competing primarily on price, telecom firms are leveraging their nationwide infrastructure, state-backed cloud networks and cybersecurity capabilities as key advantages, Wang said.
Xu Zhixin, director at the China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team’s software research division, described the shift toward cloud and AI services as inevitable, but emphasized that operators are aiming to move beyond the role of simple resource suppliers in the AI ecosystem.
China Mobile is simultaneously building what it describes as a closed-loop AI ecosystem. Its newly launched Mobile Model Management Platform (MoMA) aggregates more than 300 AI models, including DeepSeek, Qwen, Doubao and GLM, alongside its in-house large language model. Through centralized token management, the platform dynamically routes user requests across models based on demand, reducing per-token costs by over 30 percent and cutting computing resource usage by more than half, according to the company.
Official data underscores the rapid growth of AI consumption in China. The National Data Administration reported that daily token usage exceeded 140 trillion as of March, marking a more than 1,000-fold increase from early 2024 levels and a rise of over 40 percent from the end of last year.
Liu Liehong, head of the administration, said the surge reflects the industry’s transition from basic conversational tools to more advanced AI systems capable of decision-making and task execution, highlighting the expanding role of artificial intelligence across China’s digital economy.