There are clear differences between Chinese and American operators in several ways. The first is the number of operators. In China, the three major operators we are familiar with are China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. In the U.S., the four major carriers are Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. This makes the U.S. market particularly competitive, while the Chinese market is relatively concentrated.
In terms of user scale. Due to China's large population base, Chinese operators generally have a large number of users. China Mobile, in particular, has nearly 1 billion users. By comparison, the total number of subscribers of U.S. carriers is about 300 million.
In terms of technological development, Chinese operators have invested considerably. Especially in terms of 5G technology, China Mobile has been at the forefront of the world, and a large number of base station construction and equipment updates are underway. In contrast, the development of 5G technology by U.S. operators is lagging behind. In terms of tariffs, tariffs are generally higher in the United States, while tariffs are relatively low in China, especially when it comes to calls and data. In terms of market competition, the U.S. carrier market is particularly competitive, which is mainly attributed to the participation of more carriers.
In China, the market is relatively concentrated and the competition is relatively small. There is also a difference in the way it is sold. In China, the sale of mobile phones and mobile phone services is separated. Users can choose the brand and model of the phone according to their preferences and are free to sign a contract with the carrier or purchase a prepaid card. However, in the United States, mobile phones are usually sold tied to carriers, and users must choose the corresponding carrier when purchasing a mobile phone.
At present, there are obvious differences between Chinese and American operators in terms of operating models, market size, and technological development. These differences also reflect the characteristics and development trends of the communications market in different countries and regions.