China Unicom Unveils New 3G Packages
Sohu IT, 4/30/10
China Unicom (NYSE: CHU; 0762.HK; 600050.SH) has announced new changes to its 3G subscription packages starting May 1, including basic packages, iPhone fees and contract terms, a new RMB 36 per month package, and a change in policy for the first month on data card plans.
The new RMB 36 per month package includes 150 MB of data traffic per month, free incoming calls nationwide (including video calls), domestic calls at RMB 0.3 per minute and domestic video calls at RMB 0.6 per minute. The package is prepaid, while all others are post-paid.
The newly added B series of basic calling plans has comparatively more talk time and lower data limits than the A series of packages. Video calling rates for all basic packages have been reduced from RMB 0.9 to RMB 0.6 per minute.
Fee structures are as follows:
| Monthly Fee (RMB) | Package Type | Domestic Minutes | Data Transfer (MB) | Video Calling Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | A | 50 | 300 | 10 |
| 66 | B | 200 | 60 | 10 |
| 96 | A | 240 | 300 | 10 |
| 96 | B | 450 | 80 | 10 |
| 126 | A | 320 | 400 | 15 |
| 126 | B | 680 | 100 | 15 |
| 156 | A | 420 | 500 | 20 |
| 156 | B | 920 | 120 | 20 |
| 186 | A | 510 | 650 | 20 |
| 186 | B | 1180 | 150 | 20 |
| 226 | A | 700 | 750 | 25 |
| 286 | A | 900 | 950 | 30 |
| 386 | A | 1250 | 1300 | 50 |
| 586 | A | 1950 | 2000 | 100 |
| 886 | A | 3000 | 3000 | 180 |
Unicom also adjusted its first-month policy for data card plans, with a flat rate of RMB 0.1 per MB during the first month of active use. If bandwidth consumption in the first month reaches or exceeds RMB 80 in total fees (not including SMS charges), the user will automatically be upgraded to the RMB 80 monthly data package.
A new RMB 96 per month iPhone package has also been added, which includes 240 minutes of talk time, 340 MB of data transfer, 80 SMS and 10 MMS messages. Prices for Unicom iPhones will be reduced as follows: an 8 GB iPhone 3G will drop from RMB 5,999 to RMB 4,999; a 16 GB iPhone 3GS will be reduced from RMB 6,999 to RMB 5,880; and a 32 GB iPhone 3GS will cost RMB 6,999, down from RMB 7,999.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Rumor: China Unicom to Offer RMB 36 3G Plan" MD 4/26/10 issue.
Keywords: mobile data China Unicom iPhone package wireless video calling data card MMS SMS 3G 0762.HK 600050.SH CHU handset tariffs
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