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China Mobile and travel eSIM in China

China Mobile is one of the networks your eSIM may use in China. Here is who actually decides which network you get, and what to do with that.

Author: Bob Kanokphon Thongdee · Co-founderReviewed by: Porsch Kunnipat SiramanakulPublished: October 12, 2026Last updated: October 12, 2026
China Mobile and travel eSIM in China

Quick answer

  • 42 of the 103 China plans we sell name China Mobile as a reachable network, at 5G.
  • China Mobile runs LTE on B1, B3, B8, B39, B40, B41 and 5G on n40, n41, n78; your phone needs at least one of them.
  • Travel plans connect by roaming, so no plan can promise one specific network.

China Mobile in brief

China Mobile shut down its TD-SCDMA 3G network in July 2019 and now runs LTE and 5G (NR) on MCC-MNC 460-00.

We are not a reseller for this operator and we have not run our own field speed tests. The band and network details below come from the sources listed at the end of the page.
China Mobile and travel eSIM in China

China Mobile's bands and technology

ItemChina Mobile
LTE (4G)B1, B3, B8, B39, B40, B41
5G NRn40, n41, n78
5G launched2019
3GShut down
Network code (MCC-MNC)460-00

Checked against the sources on 2026-10-12. Only the bands a source confirmed are listed; the network may run others too.

An eSIM can only use China Mobile if your phone supports at least one band in this table. Before you fly, open your model's spec page on the maker's site and compare its LTE and 5G band lists.

Who licenses China Mobile

Mobile networks in China are licensed, and their spectrum assigned, by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The bands above are the ones it allocates. A problem with the local network's own service goes to the operator first; a problem with your eSIM plan comes to us.

China Mobile and travel eSIM in China

The plans on our shelf that name China Mobile

From the supplier record behind each package, 42 of the 103 plans we currently sell for China declare China Mobile as a network the profile can reach, at 5G. The figure comes from the same catalogue that prices the plan pages, and it moves when the supplier revises the record.

A plan naming China Mobile means the network sits in the list the profile may choose from. It does not mean your handset will stay on it. The priority order is the supplier's, and the signal where you stand decides.

China Mobile beside the other networks in China

NetworkLTE bands5G bands
China MobileB1, B3, B8, B39, B40, B41n40, n41, n78
China TelecomB1, B3, B5n78
China UnicomB1, B3, B8, B40n78

A band shared across networks is one a single phone can use on all of them.

Why plans do not name a fixed network

Nearly every travel eSIM is a roaming product: the profile picks a network by an order the supplier sets, not by the buyer. If China Mobile is weak where you are, try selecting China Telecom or China Unicom manually in the network settings, and keep data roaming on for the eSIM profile.

FAQ

Will my eSIM definitely connect to China Mobile?+

42 of our plans name China Mobile as reachable, but that is not a guarantee. Travel plans run over roaming agreements, so the network depends on the supplier behind the plan, your device and where you are.

Which bands does my phone need for China Mobile?+

At least one of these, LTE: B1, B3, B8, B39, B40, B41; 5G: n40, n41, n78. Your phone's band list is on the maker's spec page for your model, under "Cellular" or "Network".

Does China Mobile run 5G, and will my plan get it?+

Yes. China Mobile has run commercial 5G since 2019, on n40, n41, n78. A travel plan only gets it when the plan permits 5G, your phone supports one of those bands, and you are inside 5G coverage. Miss any one and you fall back to 4G.

How do I see which network I am on?+

Check the carrier name at the top of the screen, or open the mobile-network settings and look at the operator list. If signal is poor, try selecting a network manually instead of automatic, but only one your plan actually supports.

Sources

About the author

Bob Kanokphon Thongdee

Bob Kanokphon Thongdee

  • Co-founder of eSIMonline.asia
  • More than 7 years in online marketing
  • Founder of Cojourney Visa and Cojourney Travel
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Related

Plans

eSIM plans for China

Ranked by our value score. Each plan page lists the networks its supplier declares.

China 50GB 30 days

China Mobile

Exits in Hong Kong · China Mobile

Fixed
Data
50GB
Validity
30 days
Hotspot
Yes
Technology
3G / 4G / 5G
  • 5G ready
  • Hotspot
  • Top-up ready

Validity starts on first connection at the destination

  • One network
  • Conditions apply
from$39.90$37.90
Details

China 20GB 30 days

China Mobile

Exits in Hong Kong · China Mobile

Fixed
Data
20GB
Validity
30 days
Hotspot
Yes
Technology
3G / 4G / 5G
  • 5G ready
  • Hotspot
  • Top-up ready

Validity starts on first connection at the destination

  • One network
  • Conditions apply
from$18.90$17.95
Details

China 50GB 180 days

China Mobile

Fixed
Data
50GB
Validity
180 days
Hotspot
Yes
Technology
3G / 4G / 5G
  • 5G ready
  • Hotspot
  • Top-up ready

Validity starts on first connection at the destination

  • One network
  • Conditions apply
from$50.90$48.35
Details

China 10GB 30 days

China Mobile

Exits in Hong Kong · China Mobile

Fixed
Data
10GB
Validity
30 days
Hotspot
Yes
Technology
3G / 4G / 5G
  • 5G ready
  • Hotspot
  • Top-up ready

Validity starts on first connection at the destination

  • One network
  • Conditions apply
from$10.90$10.35
Details

China 5GB per day

China Mobile

Exits in Hong Kong · China Mobile

Daily
Data
5GB per day
Validity
sold per day, up to 365 days
Hotspot
Yes
Technology
3G / 4G / 5G
  • 5G ready
  • Hotspot
  • Budget

Validity starts on first connection at the destination

  • Daily, no top-up
  • One network
from$4.90$4.65
Details

China 10GB per day

China Mobile

Exits in Hong Kong · China Mobile

Daily
Data
10GB per day
Validity
sold per day, up to 365 days
Hotspot
Yes
Technology
3G / 4G / 5G
  • 5G ready
  • Hotspot
  • Past China's firewall

Validity starts on first connection at the destination

  • Daily, no top-up
  • One network
from$9.90$9.40
Details