You can have the best VPN protocol in the world, and it will still perform poorly if your ISP handles international traffic badly. China's three major ISPs -- China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile -- route international traffic through different backbone networks with dramatically different performance characteristics.
China Telecom: The Best Choice for VPN
China Telecom operates two backbone networks for international traffic:
- 163 Network (AS4134): The standard backbone. Used by most residential connections. Decent international routing but congested during peak hours.
- CN2 (AS4809): The premium backbone. Lower latency, less congestion, better peering with international networks. Available on some business plans and premium residential tiers.
Typical VPN performance on China Telecom: 75-80 Mbps downloads with a well-optimized VPN. Latency to Singapore: 40-80ms. Peak hour degradation: moderate (10-20ms increase, some packet loss).
If you can get CN2 service, your VPN experience will be significantly better than standard 163. Ask your ISP about CN2 or "premium international routing" options.
China Unicom: The Solid Middle Option
China Unicom uses the 169 backbone network (AS4837). It generally has better international peering than China Mobile and is less congested than Telecom's 163 during peak hours.
Typical VPN performance: 90-100 Mbps achievable with good VPN. Latency to Singapore: 50-90ms. Consistent performance but lacks the premium CN2 option that Telecom offers.
China Mobile: Avoid for VPN Use
China Mobile uses the CMNet backbone (AS9808). Despite being China's largest ISP by subscriber count, it has the worst international routing:
- Highest packet loss on international routes (8-15% during peak)
- Most aggressive throttling of VPN-like traffic
- Worst mobile data restrictions for international access
- Longer routing paths to major international destinations
If you are choosing an ISP specifically for VPN reliability, China Mobile should be your last choice. If you are stuck on Mobile, expect slower speeds, more disconnections, and higher frustration.
Practical Recommendations
- Choose China Telecom if available in your area, preferably with CN2 routing
- China Unicom is a solid alternative with good international performance
- Avoid China Mobile for VPN-heavy use, especially mobile data
- Test during peak hours (7-10 PM) before committing to a long-term contract
- Use BBR congestion control on your VPN to mitigate packet loss on any ISP
Important: ISP choice has a larger impact on VPN performance than most people realize. Switching from China Mobile to China Telecom can double your VPN speeds and dramatically reduce disconnections. See our speed test results for detailed ISP benchmarks.