Going a step further from being merely synonymous with handsets, Chinese company, Xiaomi has launched as a domestic Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) for fight for a place against the country’s powerful incumbents, using its Mi Mobile brand and announcing two tariff plans.
One package offers 3GB of 4G data for CNY59 ($9) per month, and a second, pre-paid, option charges CNY0.1 per voice minute, SMS and 1MB of data.
Both packages include free incoming calls and no roaming charges within China. Caller ID is available for an additional charge of CNY5 per month with either deal.
Xiaomi’s MVNO is piggybacking on the 2G, 3G and 4G networks of China Unicom and China Telecom, two of its new rivals.
The vendor is offering its service via a so-called triple-cut SIM card that subscribers will receive when they join the MVNO. The SIM supports standard, micro and nano sized cards.
The arrival of Xiaomi as an MVNO is not news in itself, although the exact timing was not known. The company was one of eight firms that won MVNO licences in November 2014.
In addition, Xiaomi launched a new flagship handset called Mi 4c at a cost of CNY1,300. The handset comes with a five-inch Full HD screen with sunlight display and runs on a Snapdragon 808 processor. It also has a 13 MP camera and phase detection autofocus.