- China has removed foreign-equity caps on internet data centre (IDC) and other value-added telecom services in Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan and Shenzhen.
中国已在北京、上海、海南、深圳取消互联网数据中心（IDC）等增值电信业务的外资股比限制。- As of June 2026, 166 foreign-invested enterprises had received value-added telecom operating pilot approvals since the first batch in February 2025.
截至2026年6月，自2025年2月首批以来，已有166家外商投资企业获得增值电信业务经营试点批复。- Foreign-invested telecom enterprises in China now exceed 3,100, covering all 10 categories of value-added telecom services.
中国外商投资电信企业数量已超过3100家，覆盖《电信业务分类目录》全部10类增值电信业务。- Pilot firms may legally operate IDC, internet access (ISP) and information services for foreign investors.
试点企业可依法经营互联网数据中心、互联网接入服务（ISP）及信息服务等面向外资的业务。- The opening reflects deeper telecom-sector liberalisation under the 15th Five-Year Plan.
此次开放体现了”十五五”规划下电信领域更深层次的自由化。
Telecom sector opening to foreign investment: the value-added services pilot | 电信领域扩大开放：增值电信业务外资试点
Overview
On 3 June 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) confirmed a major milestone in China’s telecom-sector liberalisation: since the first batch of value-added telecom operating pilot approvals in February 2025, 166 foreign-invested enterprises have received approvals to operate under the expanded-opening pilot. These firms may now legally provide internet data centre (IDC), internet access service (ISP), information services and related value-added telecom services in designated pilot regions.
The move stems from the 2024 policy notice 《关于开展增值电信业务扩大对外开放试点工作的通告》 (Announcement on Piloting the Expansion of Opening-Up of Value-Added Telecom Services), issued in April 2024, which authorised the removal of foreign-equity caps on IDC and other value-added services in Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan and Shenzhen. For foreign investors, this is the first time a genuinely level playing field has opened in infrastructure-heavy telecom segments that were previously ring-fenced for domestic capital.
What changed: the pilot scope
The pilot removes the long-standing requirement that value-added telecom operators be majority Chinese-owned in the following categories:
- Internet Data Centre (IDC) — colocation, hosting, cloud infrastructure services.
- Internet Access Service (ISP) — last-mile and backbone connectivity resale.
- Information Services — content platforms, app stores, paid information services.
- Other value-added categories — as enumerated in the Telecom Business Classification Catalogue.
Prior to the pilot, foreign investors could only hold a minority stake (typically capped at 50%) in most value-added segments, and IDC was effectively closed. The 2024 notice and its 2025–2026 implementation phases lift these caps entirely within the four pilot regions, allowing 100% foreign-owned entities to apply for operating licences.
Approval numbers and market scale
The figures published by MIIT on 3 June 2026 provide a clear picture of momentum:
| Metric | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot approvals since Feb 2025 | 166 enterprises | First batch issued Feb 2025 |
| Foreign-invested telecom enterprises nationwide | >3,100 | All 10 value-added categories covered |
| Pilot regions | 4 (Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan, Shenzhen) | Foreign-equity caps removed |
| Policy basis | 2024-04 notice | Expanded opening pilot |
The nationwide base of more than 3,100 foreign-invested telecom enterprises is significant: it means foreign capital already participates across the full spectrum of the Telecom Business Classification Catalogue’s ten value-added categories, even outside the four pilot regions where equity limits still apply in some segments.
Why this matters for market entry
For foreign technology and internet firms evaluating China entry, the pilot removes two historical obstacles:
- Equity control. A 100% foreign-owned subsidiary can now hold the licence directly, removing the need for a domestic joint-venture partner in IDC, ISP and information services within pilot regions.
- Service scope. Licensed pilot firms may offer cloud, hosting, connectivity and content services to their own group entities and third parties, enabling genuine local infrastructure footprints.
This is particularly relevant to e-commerce and digital-economy operators that require in-country data hosting, low-latency connectivity and compliant content delivery. Establishing a wholly foreign-owned IDC/ISP entity in Shanghai or Shenzhen can now be a viable alternative to relying on a domestic partner.
Practical steps to obtain a pilot licence
Foreign investors generally follow this path:
- Confirm eligibility. The applicant must be a foreign-invested enterprise incorporated in one of the four pilot regions, or establish a local subsidiary there.
- Prepare technical and security filings. IDC/ISP licences require network security, data-localisation and real-name verification compliance packages.
- Apply through MIIT and the provincial communications administration. The pilot approval is coordinated between central and provincial regulators.
- Maintain ongoing compliance. Annual inspections, cybersecurity graded protection (等保) and content supervision apply.
Legal and regulatory advisers should be engaged early, as the security and data-compliance thresholds for IDC/ISP are higher than for ordinary value-added services.
Strategic context
The expansion is consistent with China’s broader services-opening agenda and the 15th Five-Year Plan’s emphasis on a high-standard open economy. Telecom infrastructure is a foundational input for nearly every digital business, so liberalising it lowers the cost of China operations for foreign groups and signals regulatory confidence in managed opening.
Investors should still monitor that the pilot remains confined to four regions and that equity caps persist elsewhere. A gradual national rollout is plausible but not yet committed.
Sources
- State Council / Xinhua (gov.cn) — MIIT briefing, 2026-06-03: 166 pilot approvals, 3,100+ foreign-invested telecom enterprises.
- CCTV — 2026-06-03 report on value-added telecom opening progress.
- Central Government Portal (gov.cn) — 《关于开展增值电信业务扩大对外开放试点工作的通告》(2024-04), policy basis for the pilot.
电信领域扩大开放：增值电信业务外资试点
概述
2026年6月3日，工业和信息化部（工信部）确认了中国电信领域自由化的一项重要里程碑：自2025年2月首批增值电信业务经营试点批复以来，已有166家外商投资企业获得批复，可在指定试点地区依法经营互联网数据中心（IDC）、互联网接入服务（ISP）、信息服务等增值电信业务。
此举源于2024年4月发布的《关于开展增值电信业务扩大对外开放试点工作的通告》。该通告授权在北京、上海、海南、深圳取消IDC等增值电信业务的外资股比限制。对外国投资者而言，这是首次在以往被本土资本保护的基础设施型电信业务领域，真正打开了公平竞争的通道。
试点范围的变化
试点取消了长期以来对外资增值电信运营商须由中方控股的要求，涵盖以下类别：
- 互联网数据中心（IDC）——机柜托管、主机租用、云基础设施服务。
- 互联网接入服务（ISP）——最后一公里及骨干带宽转售。
- 信息服务——内容平台、应用商店、有偿信息服务。
- 其他增值电信类别——以《电信业务分类目录》列明的为准。
在试点之前，外资在大多数增值电信业务中的持股通常受限（一般上限50%），而IDC业务实际上对外资关闭。2024年的通告及其2025—2026年的实施阶段，在四个试点地区完全取消了上述股比限制，允许设立100%外商独资企业申请经营许可证。
批复数量与市场规模
工信部于2026年6月3日公布的数据清晰展现了开放节奏：
| 指标 | 数值 | 说明 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025年2月以来试点批复 | 166家企业 | 首批于2025年2月发放 |
| 全国外商投资电信企业 | 3,100余家 | 覆盖全部10类增值电信业务 |
| 试点地区 | 4个（北京、上海、海南、深圳） | 取消外资股比限制 |
| 政策依据 | 2024-04通告 | 扩大开放试点 |
全国范围内超过3,100家外商投资电信企业这一基数意义重大：它意味着即使在四个试点地区之外、部分业务仍存在股比限制的情况下，外资已参与到《电信业务分类目录》全部十类增值电信业务中。
对市场准入的意义
对于评估来华路径的外国科技与互联网企业，试点消除了两大历史障碍：
- 股权控制。 在试点地区，外商独资企业可直接持有牌照，无需为IDC、ISP及信息服务业务设立中方合资伙伴。
- 业务范围。 持牌试点企业可向集团内部及第三方提供云、托管、连接与内容服务，从而建立真正的本地基础设施布局。
这对需要境内数据托管、低时延连接与合规内容分发的电商及数字经济运营商尤为关键。在上海或深圳设立100%外资控股的IDC/ISP实体，如今可作为依赖本土合作伙伴的可行替代方案。
申请试点牌照的实操步骤
外商投资企业通常遵循以下路径：
- 确认资格。 申请人须为在四个试点地区之一设立的外商投资企业，或在该地设立本地子公司。
- 准备技术与安全申报材料。 IDC/ISP牌照要求提交网络安全、数据本地化及实名验证等合规文件包。
- 通过工信部及省级通信管理局申请。 试点批复由中央与省级监管协同推进。
- 维持持续合规。 需接受年度检查、网络安全等级保护（等保）及内容监管。
由于IDC/ISP的安全与数据合规门槛高于一般增值业务，建议尽早聘请法律与监管顾问。
战略背景
此次扩大开放与中国更广泛的服务业开放议程，以及”十五五”规划对高标准开放型经济的强调相一致。电信基础设施几乎是所有数字业务的基础投入，其自由化降低了外国集团在华运营的成本，也释放出对”有管理的开放”的监管信心。
投资者仍应留意：试点目前仅限四个地区，其余地区股比限制依然存在。逐步向全国推广虽有可能，但尚未明确承诺。
来源
- 国务院 / 新华社（中国政府网） — 2026-06-03工信部通报：166家试点批复、3,100余家外商投资电信企业。
- 央视网 — 2026-06-03关于增值电信业务扩大开放进展的报道。
- 中央人民政府门户网站（gov.cn） — 《关于开展增值电信业务扩大对外开放试点工作的通告》（2024-04），试点政策依据。