Stop saying you can’t afford data. Check out the N ways to unlock 5G packages

Hu Jianbo, chief engineer of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, recently said that the number of 5G package users in China has exceeded 50 million. This is consistent with the data disclosed at the State Council Information Office press conference: as of the end of March, 198,000 5G base stations had been built nationwide, with more than 50 million package users. Among them, there are more than 20 million 5G terminals that actually use 5G devices to connect to the 5G network.

It is not difficult to find that there is a big gap between package users and terminals that actually use 5G networks. This is because the initial settings of 5G packages are actually cheaper than the same-level 4G packages, which means that they can upgrade to 5G for free, so many users have upgraded to 5G packages without using 5G services.

In fact, the three operators' definition of 5G package customers is somewhat different from the general public's understanding. The number of 5G package customers currently announced refers to individual mobile phone customers who have subscribed to 5G tariff packages. In other words, as long as you have subscribed to a 5G package, you will be identified as a 5G user even if you do not have a 5G phone.

Considering that 4G packages have already evolved into various fancy package processing methods, such as data cards, King Cards, etc., which can meet users' surfing needs and are much cheaper, it is not difficult to understand why when operators announced the prices of 5G packages, the first reaction of the public was "expensive".

But in fact, the price of 5G packages has been showing a downward trend, and when paired with home broadband, it can demonstrate cost-effectiveness, which is also the focus of this article.

Great value for family

Taking Beijing as an example, the three operators have launched family-friendly 5G packages, one of which is that you can enjoy 5G network speed and gigabit broadband at the same time, and opening a secondary card can maximize the cost sharing. For families who want to upgrade their home broadband at the same time and have multiple 5G devices, this integrated package is the most cost-effective.

After all, the cost of applying for broadband alone is not a small amount. The average price of applying for 500M or 1000M broadband is close to 200 yuan per month. The bundled application with the 5G package for mobile devices is equivalent to a disguised discount.

5G upgrade package is available in small quantities

Even though the 5G package for families can reduce the 5G tariff to a certain extent, it may not be practical for individual users. Considering this situation, the operator has launched a lightweight 5G package upgrade package. The price range ranges from 19 yuan to 99 yuan. It should be pointed out that the 5G rate of the lowest-priced 5G package is limited (up to 500Mbps), and the 5G traffic is only 5-10GB of "first-hand" level.

However, compared to activating 5G services separately, the 5G upgrade package also comes with monthly membership cards for each platform and first-month preferential services. It can be seen that operators aim to attract users to activate 5G services, even if it is just a small amount to "try out".

Limited time offer with the platform

In addition to the above two preferential measures, Tencent's "Tencent King Card 5G" package is actually a good choice. This is similar to the "49 yuan" 5G package previously launched by Xiaomi. Both are large platforms that promote the bundling of 5G with their businesses.

However, the 5G package launched by Xiaomi when the K30 5G version was hot-selling has a rate limit, and Tencent's 5G traffic also cannot enjoy the free traffic services of its apps such as "Tencent Video".

In addition, the app interfaces of various online banks and the promotional items of new 5G phones also have discounts for 5G packages. Since the discount rules of each bank are relatively complicated, they are not listed here one by one. It is clear that in cities with relatively complete 5G coverage, whether it is the overall tariff level or the daily connection stability, 5G at this stage has practical value.