China Telecom lamented: China Mobile is really rich

People familiar with the matter revealed that for next year's 4G construction, China Telecom hopes to focus on coverage in more than 100 cities and provide thin coverage in the remaining cities. This is different from China Mobile's strategy of 4G coverage even in rural areas, and the root cause lies in funding.

It is reported that China Telecom's total investment will increase next year, and preliminary estimates show a year-on-year growth of 20%. Among them, the bulk of the investment will not be in fixed-line and broadband, but in the construction of mobile communication networks.

China Telecom is currently facing a tough competitive environment, mainly because China Mobile has invested heavily in 4G in the past two years, planning to invest in the construction of 500,000 base stations this year, and may actually build 700,000 base stations. At the same time, China Telecom has been slow to obtain a national FDD license.

In this regard, China Telecom has been striving to expand the number of cities for FDD/TDD integrated networking trials. However, it is reported that even if it obtains a national construction license, China Telecom will not provide deep 4G coverage throughout the country. Instead, it plans to provide thick 4G coverage in 100-120 cities and thin coverage in the remaining cities.

It is reported that this is because these 100 cities account for more than 75% of China Telecom's entire 3G traffic, and China Telecom's 3G coverage in many places has only been around for a few years and the investment has not yet been recovered.

Of course, the most important thing is financial strength. A senior executive of China Telecom lamented at an internal meeting: "China Mobile has the money to do that. We at China Telecom do not have so much money. If we do the same as China Mobile, we will be dragged down."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.