China Telecom controversies

China Telecom responds to customer complaint about bundled mobile service and home internet disconnections

Company response

After writer Liu Liu complained that China Telecom had allegedly bundled a phone with home internet service and repeatedly disconnected her home internet when mobile data went unused, China Telecom said it was looking into the situation and communicating. The article reports the complaint and the company's response; it does not report a determination of the allegations.

Allegations concerning interception of government communications

Reference material states that China Telecom was associated with the illegal interception of communications involving the governments of Canada and South Korea. The available material does not provide sufficient detail about the underlying investigation, adjudication, or corporate responsibility, so the allegation should be treated cautiously.

Investigation and conviction of chairman Chang Xiaobing

Chang Xiaobing became chairman of China Telecom in 2015 after serving as chairman of China Unicom. He was investigated for corruption later that year, resigned from his positions, and was sentenced to six years in prison in 2017. The case was a leadership and governance event involving a senior executive rather than a finding that the company itself was criminally convicted.

Broadband access and network interconnection settlement subject to NDRC antitrust investigation

In November 2011, CCTV and Yicai reported that the NDRC had investigated China Telecom and China Unicom over suspected price discrimination and insufficient interconnection in broadband access and network interconnection settlement, sparking discussion on pricing and market competition. This entry records the investigation stage and does not treat the huge fines predicted in reports as actually imposed penalties.