Conclusions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\nWhat do you need to know about the Internet in China?<\/h2>\n Below, we give a very brief summary of certain important aspects that you should know about accessing the Internet in China:<\/p>\n
\nIn China, the Internet is restricted<\/strong>: As you should already know, many websites and apps are blocked in China, such as Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube, among others. However, you can still easily access them by using a system called a VPN (or virtual private network).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nChinese Internet can be slow<\/strong>: The Great Firewall of China, which is responsible for restricting Internet use in China, has a collateral effect: it makes connections from outside China a lot slower. While Chinese websites work relatively quickly, if you want to use websites (or apps) located outside of the country, you are going to have to be patient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\nIt’s easy to find free Wi-Fi access points in China<\/strong>: Many places in China offer free Wi-Fi connections for their customers. In general, hotels, airports, caf\u00e9s and bars offer free Wi-Fi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nThe 2G, 3G and 4G networks are somewhat different in China<\/strong>: China use its own version of the CDMA network called TD-SCDMA as well as of the LTE network (4G) called TDD-LTE. Practically speaking, this means that non-Chinese telephones often operate on a slower network than normal (for example, 3G instead of 4G). Sometimes, your telephone might not even work in China. You can go to willmyphonework.net <\/a>to check whether your phone will work in China or not.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you want to avoid any problems with your cellphone in China (network compatibility, hacking, etcetera) you can rent a phone with a Chinese SIM card to use during your stay. Click here to know more about this option<\/a>.<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
To find out how to access the Internet in China without restrictions, click here to find out which VPNs work the best in China<\/a>!<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
Click here to view the list of websites blocked in China<\/a><\/strong>!<\/center><\/p>\nTypes of SIM cards with data for China<\/h2>\n In general, you can access data connections in China in three ways: local prepaid SIM cards, international travel cards and roaming with your usual company.<\/p>\n
\nLocal prepaid SIM cards<\/strong>: This is definitely the cheapest way to get a data plan in China, and these are relatively easy to obtain. You can get them in China or online on portals such as Amazon<\/a> or SIM Easy<\/a>. If you buy one online, you have to remember to activate it before traveling (you absolutely have to associate them with a valid passport).If you’re going to be in China for more than a week, I recommend this option. Read more…<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nInternational travel SIM cards<\/strong>: These are SIM cards that let you have Internet access and make calls at reasonable prices regardless of the country that you’re in. They normally have limited validity and have different plans depending on the area of the world that you’re going to travel to. Prices tend to be more expensive than local SIM cards, but much cheaper than roaming. These are especially useful if you are going to visit multiple countries during your trip. Read more…<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nRoaming<\/strong>: This is not a very good idea, as the majority of international operators charge exorbitant rates or simply don’t let you access the Internet from China. Some companies offer roaming plans at a decent price, but make sure that they at least guarantee that you will have access to the 3G network (having 2G in China is like you don’t even have Internet). If you travel to Hong Kong first, getting a Hong Kong SIM card with roaming in mainland China can be a good option. Read more…<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nImportant<\/strong>: Remember that if you want to use a Chinese SIM card or a travel card, your telephone must be unlocked. If you don’t know whether your telephone is unlocked or not, you can check it with your IMEI code at imei.info<\/a>.<\/p>\nLocal SIM cards<\/h2>\n There is no doubt that the cheapest way to browse with your telephone and make calls in China is with a local SIM card. We recommend this option to travelers who are going to be in China for a relatively long time.<\/p>\n
Telephone companies in China<\/h3>\n China basically has three main mobile telephone operators: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. Below is a table comparing the three companies.<\/p>\n
Note<\/strong>: The table below is for information purposes and is based on prices in the province of Beijing. Prices do not include all deals and plans offered by companies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/th>\n \nSIM price<\/td>\n 0\u00a5<\/td>\n 50\u00a5<\/td>\n 49\u00a5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nBasic Monthly Plan<\/td>\n 88\u00a5<\/td>\n 69\u00a5<\/td>\n 99\u00a5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nFree Data<\/td>\n 20GB<\/td>\n 10GB<\/td>\n 20GB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nFree Calls<\/td>\n 50 min<\/td>\n 500 min<\/td>\n 300 min<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nExtra Data<\/td>\n 15\u00a5 \/ 3GB<\/td>\n 10\u00a5 \/ 1GB<\/td>\n Slow browsing (1 MBps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nExtra Calls<\/td>\n 0.19\u00a5 \/ min<\/td>\n 0.15\u00a5 \/ min<\/td>\n 0.15\u00a5 \/ min<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/br>
\nChina Mobile<\/strong>: This is the operator with the most stores and top-up points in the national territory. It usually offers the plans that are the easiest to understand. However, it usually has the worst deals and has compatibility problems with foreign telephones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nChina Unicom<\/strong>: This company is particularly popular in northern China, has good compatibility with foreign telephones, usually offers the best deals for data and lets you have multiple cards associated with the same plan. However, you need to pay attention to the fine print in the plans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nChina Telecom<\/strong>: This company is mainly used in southern China and usually has good deals for calls and data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIn our opinion, for the majority of travelers, China Mobile is likely the best option<\/strong>.<\/p>\nLast of all, remember to check if your telephone is unlocked and compatible with the Chinese network<\/a>.<\/p>\nBuying SIM cards online<\/h3>\n If you have time before traveling to China and want to avoid headaches, buying a SIM card online and having it sent to your home is likely the best option. However, you need to keep in mind:<\/p>\n
\nBuying a SIM card online is more expensive <\/strong>than doing it directly in a store once in China<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nSIM cards have to be activated<\/strong>, carefully read how to activate the card before traveling to China<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nTo activate the card, you need to register a valid passport <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nCards tend to have a limited validity period <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nCards can be easily obtained on Amazon or SIM Easy:<\/p>\n
\nCompany<\/strong>: China Unicom<\/li>\nPrice<\/strong>: 25 USD<\/li>\nData<\/strong>: 1 GB<\/li>\nLocal Calls<\/strong>: 50 minutes<\/li>\nSMS<\/strong>: 100 text messages<\/li>\nValidity<\/strong>: 90 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Click here to buy this SIM card on Amazon<\/a><\/strong>!<\/center>\nCompany<\/strong>: China Unicom<\/li>\nPrice<\/strong>: 30 USD<\/li>\nData<\/strong>: 2 GB<\/li>\nLocal calls<\/strong>: 0 minutes<\/li>\nValidity<\/strong>: 90 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Click here to buy this SIM card on SIM Easy<\/a><\/strong>!<\/center>\nCompany<\/strong>: China Unicom<\/li>\nPrice<\/strong>: 42.50 USD<\/li>\nData<\/strong>: 3 GB<\/li>\nLocal calls<\/strong>: 50 minutes<\/li>\nValidity<\/strong>: 90 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Click here to buy this SIM card on SIM Easy<\/a><\/strong>!<\/center>
\nCompany<\/strong>: China Unicom<\/li>\nPrice<\/strong>: 80 USD<\/li>\nData<\/strong>: 6 GB<\/li>\nLocal calls<\/strong>: 50 minutes<\/li>\nSMS<\/strong>: 100 text messages<\/li>\nValidity<\/strong>: 90 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Click here to buy this SIM card on Amazon<\/a><\/strong>!<\/center>
\nCompany<\/strong>: China Unicom<\/li>\nPrice<\/strong>: 79.50 USD<\/li>\nData<\/strong>: 6 GB<\/li>\nLocal calls<\/strong>: 100 minutes<\/li>\nValidity<\/strong>: 90 days<\/li>\nVPN China Unicom<\/strong>: 15 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Click here to buy this SIM card on SIM Easy<\/a><\/strong>!<\/center>Buying SIM cards directly in China<\/h3>\n If you have time or are going to spend a long time in China, the cheapest option is definitely purchasing the SIM card directly in a store of one of the main three operators.<\/p>\n
Important<\/strong>: To purchase and activate a Chinese SIM card, you are going to have to show your passport.<\/p>\nLast of all, you should know that operators have different deals depending on the province where you are purchasing the card and that making calls with a SIM card from another province may involve additional charges. However, these additional charges are slowly disappearing.<\/p>\n
Useful information for Chinese SIM cards<\/h3>\n Checking your balance <\/strong><\/p>\n\nChina Mobile<\/strong>: To check the balance of your card, you can call 10086 or send a text message to the telephone number 10086<\/strong> with the code 111<\/em>. To find out how much data you have left on your plan, use the code 1091<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nChina Unicom<\/strong>: To check the balance of your card, send a text message to the telephone number 10010<\/strong> with the code 101<\/em>. To find out how much data you have left on your plan, use the code 2082<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nChina Telecom<\/strong>: To check the balance of your card, send a text message to the telephone number 10001<\/strong> with the code 101<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nTopping up your SIM card <\/strong><\/p>\nThere are multiple ways to top up your card in China:<\/p>\n
\nOnline<\/strong>: You can top up your card on the websites of the three telephone operators, but to do so, you are going to need to have Chinese online banking and to be able to navigate their chaotic webpages in Chinese. The only exception is China Unicom, which has a website in English, and where you can pay with foreign cards or even PayPal (click here to go to its website<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nWeChat and Alipay<\/strong>: If you have a WeChat<\/a> or Alipay<\/a> account, you can easily top up your prepaid Chinese SIM card.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nBuying a top-up card<\/strong>: If you can’t top up your card with the previous methods, you can always go to one of the thousands of stores that you will find in China with the logo of your operator and by a top-up card. These are called \u5145\u503c\u5361 (Ch\u014dngzh\u00ed k\u01ce) in Chinese. The top-up card contains the instructions on how to use it in both Chinese and English.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nValidity of the card and cancellation<\/strong><\/p>\nPrepaid Chinese SIM cards are automatically canceled when they haven’t been used for a time (how long depends on the provider) regardless of whether you have credit or not.<\/p>\n
If you purchased the SIM card directly in China, it’s a good idea to cancel it before leaving the country. While nothing usually happens, it’s possible that you can accumulate a bit of debt before canceling the card, and if you go back to China one day, they will make you pay the debt before giving you a new SIM card.<\/p>\n
If you purchased the card on Amazon<\/a> or SIM Easy<\/a>, you don’t have to worry, as the card already has an established validity period following activation.<\/p>\nInternational travel SIM cards<\/h2>\n If you are going to travel to multiple countries in addition to China and\/or are going to spend a relatively short period in China, a good option is to have an international travel card.<\/p>\n
This is a bit more expensive than using a local card, but they are easy to obtain and let you use them in other countries on your route. Keep in mind that for short periods and limited data use, their price isn’t very different from that of a local card.<\/p>\n
Below is a table comparing four of the best companies offering travel cards compatible with the Chinese network.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that this table is a simplification of their offering; thoroughly check the details and deals to determine which company is the best fit for you.<\/p>\n
\nWHAT\u2019S BEST<\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\nFEATURES<\/th>\n WHAT\u2019S BEST<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \nCard Name<\/td>\n Universal SIM China<\/td>\n Universal<\/td>\n Asia SIM Card<\/td>\n Lite Starter Pack<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nSIM Card\u2019s Price<\/td>\n $10<\/td>\n $19.95<\/td>\n $0<\/td>\n $14.99<\/td>\n \nData Plan<\/td>\n $29 \/ 3GB<\/td>\n $20 \/ 1GB<\/td>\n $30 \/ 4GB<\/td>\n $0 \/ 1GB<\/td>\n \nData Plan Is Valid For<\/td>\n 30 days<\/td>\n 30 days<\/td>\n 8 days<\/td>\n 14 days<\/td>\n \nExtra Data\u2019s Price<\/td>\n $0.25$ \/ MB<\/td>\n $0.20 \/ MB<\/td>\n $0.21 \/ MB<\/td>\n Top-up<\/td>\n \nLocal Calls<\/td>\n $0.49$ \/ min<\/td>\n $0.29 \/ min<\/td>\n $0.47 \/ min<\/td>\n VoIP<\/td>\n \nInternational Calls<\/td>\n $0.49$ \/ min<\/td>\n $0.29 \/ min<\/td>\n From $0.47$ \/ min<\/td>\n VoIP<\/td>\n \nIncoming Calls<\/td>\n $0 \/ min<\/td>\n $0 \/ min<\/td>\n $0 \/ min<\/td>\n VoIP<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nShipping<\/td>\n The entire world except Argentina, Andorra, Russia, Turkey, Egypt and Estonia<\/td>\n All the world<\/td>\n All the world<\/td>\n All the world<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \nMain Advantage<\/td>\n China-specific card<\/td>\n Cheapest calls<\/td>\n Extra phone numbers<\/td>\n Data plans<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/td>\n Learn More\u27a4<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n Learn More\u27a4<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n Learn More\u27a4<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n Learn More\u27a4<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n
Description of the table<\/h3>\n While this table is designed to help you make a decision more easily, it might still not be clear what card to use. Below is a description of in which case you should choose each of the companies (in our opinion):<\/p>\n
Travel SIM<\/strong><\/p>\nTravel SIM is perfect for people who are going to be in China for only a few days and want an easy way to communicate with WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook and to check Google and Gmail. The main advantage of Travel SIM is that its plan for China lets you not buy a VPN.<\/p>\n
If you’re going to be in China for a longer time or need extensive use of the Internet (watching videos or making video calls), purchasing a VPN<\/a> and using a Wi-Fi network will be a lot less expensive.<\/p>\n
Go to Travel SIM’s website<\/a><\/strong><\/center><\/p>\nOne SIM Card<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you need to make calls and browse in China and other countries, One SIM Card is the best option without a doubt. It offers Internet at reasonable prices and the best price for making calls both inside and outside of China. One SIM Card offers very competitive products, although data can be a bit more expensive in China compared to the competition.<\/p>\n
Go to One SIM Card’s website<\/a><\/strong><\/center><\/p>\nWorld SIM<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you frequently travel to certain countries, World SIM is a very good option. It has a highly-customizable product range gives you the possibility of acquiring different local numbers (all integrated into the same card). While it might not have the best products for China, if you travel to multiple countries, the flexibility of its plans can be very useful.<\/p>\n
Go to World SIM’s website<\/a><\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n
![\"Prepaid](\"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sim-cards-china.jpg\" "\\"Prepaid")
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