China Telecom has introduced a new initiative, offering a one-year complimentary trial of its satellite service to users of certain smartphone models. This program is aimed at owners of Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo devices.
According to reports from users (via Huawei Central), China Telecom is informing customers about the offer through SMS. The message states, “Experience satellite calls, free for a whole year!”
Details of the Free Plan
The free plan grants users 2 minutes of satellite talk time each month without charge. Normally, standard satellite calls on China Telecom cost 9 yuan per month.
To subscribe to this 12-month free plan, users need to respond to the SMS with a specific code. This triggers a process to gather user information and activate the service.
Eligible Smartphones
Here are the smartphones currently eligible for the free satellite service trial:
- Huawei Pura 70 Ultra
- Huawei Pura 70 Pro+
- Huawei Mate 60 Pro
- Honor Magic 6 Ultimate
- Honor Magic 6 Pro
- Xiaomi 14 Ultra
- OPPO Find X7 Ultra
- Vivo X100 Ultra
This free trial enables users to make or receive satellite calls in areas with poor or no cellular network coverage.
Additional Service Information
While the trial includes voice calls, it’s important to remember that text messaging is a separate service with a monthly fee of 10 yuan. Users who do not wish to continue the text messaging service after the trial period ends will need to cancel it manually.
China Telecom launched its direct smartphone-to-satellite service in September 2023. This service allows users with compatible phones and a China Telecom SIM card to activate satellite features for SMS and voice calls, even without cellular network access.
The standard service is priced at 10 yuan per month, but there are tiered packages offering various call minutes. For 200 yuan, users get 50 minutes; 300 yuan provides 100 minutes; and 500 yuan allows for 200 minutes of satellite talk time.
