China's Three Major Operators Stop Third-Party Internet SIM Card Services
China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom jointly announced that starting from August 1, they will no longer provide SIM card services through third-party internet platforms. Users can only apply through official apps or websites.
Affected products include Tencent Wang Card, Ant Bao Card, Bilibili Card, Mango Card, and other cooperative products, with related application channels now closed; previously issued SIM cards can still be used normally.
This event has led to tighter control over operator channels, benefiting official channels while putting pressure on third-party platforms and users relying on low-cost data cards.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
The three major operators are simultaneously tightening internet card sales permissions, officially citing the need to combat false authorizations and personal information leakage risks. In reality, this also involves regulating low-cost competition and controlling channel costs.
In terms of resource allocation, the handling of SIM cards is fully returned to their own touchpoints, motivated by unified tariff management, reduced agency costs, and strengthened real-name system closure, while also reducing price wars across provinces and channels.
Similar trends can be seen in other basic telecom services returning from open agency to centralized control, with the industry currently transitioning from a "price for volume" approach to prioritizing quality and compliance.
This essentially reflects regulatory changes and restructuring of the industry chain: channel power is concentrating towards operators, with the mechanism being the systematic compression of third-party distribution models under the requirements of personal information security and market order.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
- The exit of low-cost data cards often signals a tightening of channel rights.
- The concentration of official channels is a dual choice for safety and profit.
- The closure of third-party entry points simultaneously narrows user choice.