China Unicom Reduces Capex by 8% in 2026, Allocates 35% to AI Infrastructure

China Unicom plans to cut capital expenditure to CNY 50 billion in 2026, directing over 35% towards computing infrastructure for AI. AI-related revenue surged 147%, representing 15.4% of total service revenue. The operator's total subscriber base exceeded 1.2 billion, with stable revenue at CNY 347.7 billion and net profit growing 1%. The company is expanding its AI infrastructure with 1.1 million data center cabinets and 45 EFLOPS computing capacity, while also advancing gigabit broadband and 10-gigabit optical fiber networks.

Published Mar 26, 2026

China Unicom will reduce its capital expenditure by nearly 8% to CNY 50 billion ($7.2 billion) in 2026, with over 35% allocated to computing infrastructure as it shifts focus to AI. AI-related revenue increased by 147%, accounting for 15.4% of service revenue.

AI-curated by Theia

The company reported stable financial performance with service revenue of CNY 347.7 billion and a net profit of CNY 20.8 billion. The subscriber base surpassed 1.2 billion, and 5G-Advanced networks were deployed in over 330 cities. China Unicom is also expanding its AI infrastructure and promoting gigabit broadband enhancements.