May 17 marks World Telecommunication Day, a pivotal moment for the industry.

What significance does this day hold for telecommunications? Traditionally, the three major carriers—China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom—use this occasion to unveil major initiatives. Past years saw fee reductions and speed upgrades, followed by aggressive 5G package promotions. This year, they’ve introduced an unprecedented offering:

Token-Based Computing Power Packages.

On this highly symbolic day, the three carriers formally announced group-level launches of token-based billing plans for both individual and enterprise customers. This isn’t a regional pilot program but a coordinated nationwide rollout, effectively placing an "AI-era pricing meter" on the market.

With 26 years in this industry, I’ve witnessed transitions from pagers to Xiaolingtong, from 3G to 5G, from unlimited data plans to today’s token-based monthly subscriptions. Carriers change their billing metrics more frequently than my local convenience store updates price tags.

But this shift feels different. Tokens aren’t mere data or voice minutes—they represent the cost of "one interaction" in the AI era. All three carriers now offer these packages simultaneously, with wildly divergent pricing strategies. Today, I’ll dissect these offerings to reveal who provides genuine value and who’s collecting an "AI premium."

01 What Exactly Are Token Packages? Let’s Clarify Before Comparing Costs

What constitutes a token? Ask DeepSeek or Kimi, "What’s the weather in Beijing today?" To AI, that query isn’t a single sentence but five to six tokens—the smallest informational units it processes. Your question consumes tokens, the AI’s response consumes tokens, and even uploading a contract for summarization requires a substantial token allocation.

Traditionally, carriers billed by data volume—your Douyin usage appeared in megabytes on bills. Now, they’re shifting to token-based billing, tracking AI interactions rather than raw data consumption.

So what do these token packages entail?

China Telecom: On May 17, the carrier launched a nationwide token trial commercial package with three individual tiers: Light Plan (9.9 RMB/month for 10 million tokens), Standard Plan (29.9 RMB/month for 40 million tokens), and Premium Plan (49.9 RMB/month for 80 million tokens). For SMEs, options include Basic (39.9 RMB/month for 15 million tokens), Professional (159.9 RMB/month for 70 million tokens), and Flagship (299.9 RMB/month for 150 million tokens).

China Mobile: Also on May 17, Beijing Mobile introduced "Computing Power Token Packages" with a 5.99 RMB one-time computing pack or a 24.99 RMB monthly plan (10 million tokens). New users could purchase cloud computers with built-in OpenClaw. Shanghai Mobile offered "1 RMB for 400,000 tokens" in partnership with Tencent for AI-native workspaces. Jiangsu Mobile provided 5 RMB for 2.5 million tokens, while Heilongjiang Mobile reduced its Coding Plan Lite from 40 RMB/month to 7.9 RMB for the first month.

China Unicom: Prior to May 17, Hubei Unicom launched tiered token plans (6/12/18 million tokens). Sichuan Unicom introduced a "Family Token Package." On the 17th, Unicom exclusively released a package for OPCs (one-person companies) in Shanghai—free 30 million tokens during trial, with renewals at 1 RMB/million tokens thereafter.

Notice the pattern? All three carriers launched simultaneously but with fundamentally different approaches.

02 Head-to-Head Comparison: Who Offers Real Value vs. Marketing Gimmicks?

Let’s calculate unit prices:

China Telecom: Individual base tier—9.9 RMB for 10 million tokens → 0.99 RMB/million tokens (group-wide uniform pricing).

China Mobile: Shanghai Mobile—1 RMB for 400,000 tokens → 2.5 RMB/million tokens. Beijing Mobile—24.99 RMB for 10 million tokens → 2.5 RMB/million tokens. Jiangsu Mobile—5 RMB for 2.5 million tokens → 2 RMB/million tokens. Regional pricing varies, but most plans cluster around 2–2.5 RMB/million tokens.

China Unicom: OPC renewal price—1 RMB/million tokens (lowest nationally), but exclusive to one-person companies post-trial. Regular individual plans start at 15 RMB/month, though official releases lack clear token allocations.

Verdict:

Lowest unit price: Unicom’s OPC renewal at 1 RMB/million tokens (limited eligibility).

Lowest entry cost: Telecom’s 9.9 RMB/month plan.

Most confusing: Mobile’s fragmented regional pricing.

The harsh reality: Telecom’s 0.99 RMB/million tokens undercuts Mobile Shanghai’s 2.5 RMB by 60%. For 10 million tokens monthly, Telecom saves nearly 15 RMB compared to Mobile—and that’s just one region.

On day one of the carriers’ "computing power supermarket," prices already clash.

03 Three Critical Pitfalls of Token Packages You Must Avoid

Pitfall #1: Token prices will plummet—you’re buying at peak pricing

In March, Zhipu GLM 5 raised prices by 30% due to surging demand for intelligent agents, selling out post-hike. However, that was a model provider’s move. Among carriers, intense competition will drive token unit prices below 0.5 RMB within months. The 24.99 RMB you spend now for 10 million tokens might be worth just 5 RMB in three months.

Pitfall #2: Carriers don’t produce tokens—they’re just resellers

Mobile, Telecom, and Unicom access third-party models like DeepSeek, Qwen, and Kimi. Every token call requires revenue sharing with model providers. Most of your payment flows upstream—carriers earn mere "pipeline fees" in disguise.

Omdia analyst Yang Guang bluntly states: Carriers are repackaging traditional connectivity and computing resources with new billing units. The voice era billed by minutes, the data era by GB, and now tokens—logically identical.

Isn’t this just rebranding "data sales" as "token sales"?

Pitfall #3: Fragmented pricing turns users into guinea pigs

Mobile charges 2 RMB/million tokens in Jiangsu, 2.5 RMB in Shanghai, and 2.5 RMB in Beijing—same company, three prices. Unicom Shanghai gives OPCs 30 million free tokens, while Sichuan users get nothing. Telecom has group-wide pricing but allows provincial promotions.

This fragmentation means you’ll never know if you’re overpaying. Carriers haven’t finalized pricing but are already testing it on users.

04 Why Token Packages Now? Three Words: Intense Competition!

Consider these Q1 2026 figures:

China Mobile’s net profit attributable to shareholders fell 4.21% YoY. China Telecom’s dropped 17.08%. China Unicom’s fell 17.99%. Full-year revenue growth for all three dipped below 1% in 2025.

Traditional telecom business has plateaued. 5G lacks killer apps, data unit prices decline annually, and user growth has saturated. Carriers must find new revenue streams.

Tokens are their "new meal ticket."

On May 17, Zhao Ce, Deputy Director-General of the MIIT’s Information and Communication Development Department, publicly endorsed flexible payment models like "card hours," "core hours," and tokens. Officials are clearing the path for tokens.

Carriers’ message: Price computing power clearly by tokens, letting enterprises and individuals buy AI capabilities like data packages. Sounds ideal—except you’ve spent years learning to avoid data package pitfalls. Token packages just launched today; their flaws aren’t visible yet.

05 What Should Consumers Do?

Will token packages endure? Yes. Will they remain this expensive? No. Carriers competing down to 0.5 RMB/million tokens is inevitable. By then, today’s purchases will epitomize the "early adopter tax."

Will regulators intervene? The MIIT encourages this shift, so no crackdowns soon. But if price wars erode profits, carriers might resort to "unlimited tokens" with hidden speed throttling.

My advice: Don’t rush.

Wait. Wait for competition to stabilize, prices to bottom out, and carriers to stop hyping tokens as a buzzword. Then choose wisely.

On World Telecommunication Day (May 17), three carriers launched token packages simultaneously.

Same strategy, new packaging.

Don’t be the first to pay.

Be the last to overpay.