China Mobile Leveraging Strong Mobile Position Into DICT Services

With 991 million customers, China Mobile not only dwarfs its Chinese competitors but also is the world's largest wireless telephone company. It has more mobile subscribers than its competitors despite being handicapped by the Chinese government in the past, which required it to use the homegrown TD-SCDMA technology standard for 3G mobile. However, with subsequent technology shifts to 4G and now 5G, the technology playing field is more level. Over time, competitors have taken mobile services revenue market share, with China Mobile's share reducing from 71% in 2012 to 61% in 2023. However, China Mobile has been aggressive in the fixed-line broadband and internet services market, so its overall telecom services revenue share has only fallen to 51% from 55% over the same period.