Imagine missing a critical video call with a global client because of slow internet—or losing hours of productivity every week due to unreliable connections.In China, slow speeds, hidden fees, and restricted access can drain productivity and hurt your bottom line. Choosing the right ISP is not just a technical decision—it’s a business necessity.
A poor ISP choice means lost productivity, disrupted communications, and security vulnerabilities. The right provider keeps your business running smoothly with reliable, high-speed connections. So, how do you choose the best ISP for your needs in China? Here’s a practical guide to help you navigate the options, avoid costly mistakes, and make an informed decision.
We conducted Market research in major Chinese business hubs such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Beijing, and Guangzhou highlighting the varying trends and pricing for internet services, serving as a benchmark for global businesses. These pricing figures and insights are guided for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) and serve as guidelines to follow when selecting internet services.
Key Takeaways:
- Speed and Reliability Matter: Prioritise consistent performance, especially for global platforms like Microsoft 365 and video conferencing tools.
- Understand the True Costs: Look beyond the base price—consider installation fees, fixed IPs, and hidden charges.
- Local Expertise Saves Money: Local representatives often secure better pricing and faster service.
- Commitment Equals Savings: Annual contracts usually offer better value than monthly plans.
- Get a Personalised Quote: Every business has unique needs—customised quotes provide the best value and service.
The True Value of a Dedicated Internet Line
- Consistent Speeds A dedicated line ensures consistent speeds, unaffected by peak hours or network congestion, unlike shared connections where speeds fluctuate based on user activity.
- Low latency, Dedicated lines minimize delays in data transmission, making them ideal for video calls, online gaming, and real-time applications.
- Enhanced Reliability With a dedicated line, outages due to congestion are rare. Businesses benefit from guaranteed uptime through service-level agreements (SLAs).
- Scalability Easily adjust bandwidth on a dedicated line to match growing needs without performance compromises.
- Improved Security Dedicated lines provide a more secure environment, reducing the risk of data breaches compared to shared infrastructure.
- Better Support and Monitoring ISPs prioritize customer support and offer monitoring tools for dedicated lines, ensuring faster issue resolution and optimized performance.
List of cities and price for local vendors.
Let’s explore the different ISP providers and their offerings across major Chinese business hubs. Internet pricing and service options vary widely between cities like Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Beijing, and Guangzhou. Both China Unicom and China Telecom are the primary providers, offering speeds ranging from 100M to 200M, with optional fixed IPs and discounts for annual subscriptions. Installation fees and fixed IP availability also differ by location and provider.
Prices for business internet services can differ significantly depending on the city. For example, in Shanghai, annual plans can start as low as 24,000 RMB for a 100M connection from China Unicom, while in Guangzhou, prices can climb to 144,000 RMB per year for a 200M plan from China Telecom. Similarly, Beijing sees monthly costs around 6,920 RMB for a 100M connection with China Unicom, whereas Suzhou offers more affordable rates starting at 2,400 RMB per month. These differences reflect varying local infrastructure, business demand, and regional regulations.
Contact us for the full table of ISP prices across the 5 major business hubs
Disclaimer Please note that the discounted prices vary depending on the vendor. The prices listed here are the ones we received for each plan, and they may differ in other business parks.
ISP Pricing Across Major Chinese Business Hubs
ISP pricing varies across China’s major business hubs. Shanghai and Beijing offer waived installation fees, while Guangzhou and Hangzhou charge up to ¥1,000. Suzhou and Nanjing provide more fixed IPs at lower costs, while Hangzhou has the highest prices, reflecting its tech hub status. China Unicom offers better rates for long-term plans but has limited monthly contracts in some cities. Always seek customised quotes for the best deals.
How Latency Impacts Internet Performance
When evaluating internet performance, one key factor to consider is observable latency, particularly in regions affected by The Great Firewall of China. Can significantly impact the speed of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for services outside of China.
Based on our analysis, we have observed that overall internet speeds may fluctuate slightly, often showing a reduction of 3–5% below the expected speed of the package. More notably, there is a marked increase in latency when accessing dedicated services that are located outside of China’s borders. Global platforms such as Microsoft 365, Teams, and Intune are typical examples of services affected by this increased latency. This latency can lead to severe performance degradation, with potential speed reductions reaching up to 80–90%.
If your operations rely on robust international connectivity, don’t miss our dedicated page designed for advanced global network solutions.
Steps for choosing your own dedicated ISP network
- Always reach out to providers for customized quotes. Asking about long-term discounts or bundling services can reduce costs.
- Consider both monthly and annual plans to find the best value. In most cases, committing to a longer-term plan may lead to significant savings.
- Having more IPs for a dedicated internet connection allows a business to assign different IP addresses to specific services like a website, email server, or VPN, improving organization and preventing conflicts between services. It enhances security by isolating critical systems, makes troubleshooting easier, and ensures scalability as the business grows, accommodating additional services or devices without disruption.
- In cities like Guangzhou and Hangzhou, factor installation fees into your budget to avoid surprises.
Usage Recommendations:
A 100 Mbps connection is suitable for up to 15 – 25 people under heavy usage conditions. A 200 Mbps connection is ideal for 25 – 50 people under heavy usage conditions.
What qualifies as heavy usage?
Heavy usage typically includes activities such as video conferencing, frequent file sharing, streaming, and simultaneous connections to global platforms.
ISP Selection Checklist for Businesses in China
- Assess Needs: Identify user count and critical applications (e.g., Microsoft 365, VPN). Choose100 Mbps for 15-25 users, 200 Mbps for 25-50 users.
- Compare ISPs: Evaluate China Unicom and China Telecom plans by speed, fixed IPs, and reliability In your area.
- Check Costs: Request custom quotes, factor in installation fees, and compare monthly vs. annual
- Evaluate Performance: Ensure low latency and reliable access to global platforms despite theGreat Firewall.
- Negotiate: Seek discounts on long-term contracts and extra IPs.
- Monitor: Confirm SLAs, track performance, and review annually.
Optimize Your Internet Performance
Choosing the wrong ISP can slow your business and lead to costly disruptions. Book a consultation with our IT experts to find the best provider for your China office. We’ll help you secure the best rates, ensure compliance, and optimize your internet performance.
About JET IT Services
JET helps businesses in China overcome IT challenges with reliable, compliant, and secure solutions. From network optimization to cybersecurity, we ensure your IT systems run smoothly so you can focus on what matters most—growing your business!