China to abolish domestic data roaming charges in 2018

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China will cancel domestic long-distance and roaming charges for data packages this year, said Minister of Industry and Information Miao Wei, at the "Ministers' Corridor" of the opening meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing on Monday.

This echoed what Premier Li Keqiang said in the government work report he delivered to the meeting earlier in the day.

Mobile phone users have complained over the current two charging modes of data packages, namely local data package and nationwide data package, said Miao based on a survey conducted by the ministry. To address the problem, “there will be other measures to lower the fees while accelerating the speed, besides the cancellation of domestic data roaming charges.”

Minister of Industry and Information Miao Wei /Photo via china.com.cn

China will also cut the charges for mobile data per month.

Both measures will contribute to an over 30-percent decrease in the rates for mobile Internet services compared to last year.

The country will continue to bring down Internet rates for home and corporate broadband.

China ranks the world’s first in the number of subscribers to optical broadband and mobile broadband, according to Miao. Over the past three years, broadband users in China have enjoyed a 90 percent decrease in rates, and mobile users a 38.5 percent decrease.