China Telecom unveils data packages for foreigners

Foreign tourists in China will be able to rent 3G wireless routers and purchase data traffic packages provided by China Telecom.

These new offerings are targeted at short-term customers, allowing foreign tourists to use their mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other IT devices that require Wi-Fi connection, at a lower cost in the country, Sina Tech reported on Friday.

The cheapest three-day plan costs just 99 yuan (US$16.1) and includes a rented 3G wireless router and 300M data traffic. Customers can pay 269 yuan (US$43.9) to extend the service to the maxim 10 days, with provided data traffic of 1G for the period, according to the report.

Another China Telecom service plan also allows tourists to purchase a SIM card which provides 500M and 1G data for 10 days at 139 yuan (US$22.7) and 269 yuan (US$43.9), respectively.

Tourists are able to purchase the new data packages online or at selected tour agencies as well as designated hotels. Rented devices can be returned at any service outlets located throughout the country, according to the report. China Telecom said the data package plans will be available initially at 22 provinces, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong, before the offerings are extended to the whole territory.

Inbound tourists to China reached 132 million in 2012, generating mobile data traffic worth of 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) a year. Starting August 1, Guangzhou is the third Chinese city to allow transit passengers to stay in the area for 72 hours without visas. Beijing and Shanghai adopted the same policy earlier this year.