ALL China Mobile subscribers in Shenzhen will be able to enjoy free incoming calls from tomorrow, the operator announced Sunday.
The new rate is expected to benefit nearly 300,000 subscribers in Shenzhen who now have to pay 0.4 yuan (US$0.05) per minute for receiving every phone call.
The other 1 million China Mobile subscribers in the city are already enjoying free incoming calls by buying various “packages” offered by the company.
The “packages,” however, require the subscriber to spend at least 98 yuan a month, including a 50-yuan monthly rent.
Under the new rate, China Mobile subscribers will still have to pay the monthly rent of 50 yuan.
However, the cost of domestic long-distance calls (outside of the city but excluding calls to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) will be reduced to 0.39 yuan per minute under the new scheme, the same as local calls, according to the company.
China Mobile’s Shenzhen Branch now charges up to 1.1 yuan per minute for making domestic long-distance calls.
The company will continue to charge 0.49 yuan per minute for making or receiving roaming calls, or calls made on the Chinese mainland but outside the place where phone numbers were registered. (Deng Hanneng)