China's MIIT to study wider value-added telecom opening; AI computing up 146%
In short
Xie Cun, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Information and Communications Administration, said on 20 October that China's intelligent computing capacity reached 2,592 EFLOPS by end-September 2026, up 146% year on year. He said the ministry will study, when timing is right, further expanding pilots for opening up value-added telecom services.
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Xie Cun (谢存), head of the Information and Communications Administration at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said on 20 October that the ministry will study, when timing is right, further expanding pilots for opening up value-added telecom services. He spoke at a State Council Information Office press conference on industry and information technology development in the first three quarters of 2026. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Xie said the information and communications sector developed steadily overall in the first three quarters. Total telecom business volume rose 7.3% year on year, and internet business revenue rose 8.9% year on year in January to August. By the end of September 2026, China's intelligent computing capacity reached 2,592 EFLOPS, up 146% year on year, which he said strongly supports the development of the country's artificial intelligence industry. [ 2 , 4 ]
Xie said the ministry will work to raise the quality of the information and communications industry in three ways. The first is stable investment: seizing the opportunity in building next-generation communications networks, planning major projects described as strategic, guiding and breakthrough, and speeding up the expansion and upgrading of computing facilities to support advanced manufacturing. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The second is innovation: laying out 6G technology ahead of time, strengthening the standards system for next-generation networks, deepening 5G industrial internet applications, and promoting the integration of information and communications, and of the industrial internet, with artificial intelligence. The ministry will also build 5G plus industrial internet pilot cities for integrated applications. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The third is opening: supporting more qualified companies in applying for commercial trials of satellite IoT services, and studying, when timing is right, a further expansion of the value-added telecom pilots. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The remarks, made at a State Council Information Office press conference, set out the ministry's stated priorities for the information and communications sector: investment, innovation including 6G, and opening. The documents give no details on timing or scope of the planned steps.
Key facts
- Xie Cun, head of the Information and Communications Administration at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, spoke at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on 20 October. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- China's intelligent computing capacity reached 2,592 EFLOPS at the end of September 2026, up 146% year on year. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Total telecom business volume rose 7.3% year on year in the first three quarters, and internet business revenue rose 8.9% year on year in January to August. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The ministry said it will support more qualified companies in applying for commercial trials of satellite IoT services. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The ministry said it will study, when timing is right, further expanding pilots for opening up value-added telecom services. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The ministry also plans to lay out 6G technology innovation ahead of time and to build 5G plus industrial internet pilot cities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Xie Cun said the ministry will study, when timing is right, further expanding pilots for opening up value-added telecom services. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Intelligent computing capacity reached 2,592 EFLOPS by the end of September 2026, up 146% year on year, according to Xie Cun. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The ministry named three next steps: stable investment, innovation and greater opening. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- When and how far the value-added telecom opening pilots will be expanded. Xie Cun said only that the ministry will study it when timing is right; no date, scope or sectors are given.
- Which major projects will be carried out under the investment plan. The documents describe them only as strategic, guiding and breakthrough projects, with no names or figures.