At around 2 p.m. on February 13, 2026, Thai Airways flight TG612 from Bangkok had just landed at Kunming Changshui International Airport. As small groups of passengers pushed their luggage carts out of the international arrivals exit on the B1 level, many instinctively turned their attention to the China Mobile service counter directly opposite.

“May I help you?” asked Hu Die, a staff member at the Kunming Branch of China Mobile Yunnan (hereafter “Kunming Mobile”), with a smile. In front of the counter, a Swiss tourist was gesturing at his phone’s SIM card slot. Passport verification, facial recognition registration and plan selection were completed in one smooth process, and his seven-day short-term SIM card for foreign visitors was successfully activated.

“The first thing I needed after clearing customs was a local SIM card. I didn’t expect it to take just ten minutes,” the tourist said, slipping his new phone into his pocket and scanning the QR code at the counter. “They even showed me how to use maps, ride-hailing and food delivery apps.”

A traveler applies for a seven-day SIM card for foreign visitors. Photo by Zhang Wei.  

This is an typical scene at China Mobile’s service counter at Kunming Changshui International Airport. Since its trial launch on November 6, 2025, the four-square-meter counter has served more than 8,000 inbound and outbound travelers. Every day, visitors get their “first connection in Yunnan” here.

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Hu Die pulled out the daily operations log from a drawer, her finger tracing lines of detailed records. “In our first week after opening in November 2025, we issued 150 SIM cards, 60 percent to foreign visitors. Since January, with the Spring Festival travel rush underway, we’ve seen more domestic customers replacing or upgrading their cards. But our newly introduced ‘Colorful Yunnan Travel Card’ has been especially popular, and foreign users still account for about 45 percent.”

On shelves behind the counter are neatly displayed five short-term plans for foreign visitors — valid for 2, 7, 10, 15 and 30 days — with prices starting from just RMB 30.

Initially, the counter offered only 7-, 15- and 30-day packages. However, after feedback from the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce that some business travelers needed shorter transit options or around 10 days of service, Kunming Mobile quickly introduced 2-day and 10-day plans.

Payment options have also been diversified. Stickers for Visa, Mastercard, Alipay International, WeChat Pay and cash are prominently displayed, giving foreign customers flexible choices.

Hu Die recalled that a Bangladeshi traveler once encountered a failed Visa transaction. Staff helped him switch to a mobile data connection and complete the payment through Alipay International, resolving the issue on the spot.

“After One Video by Alyona (transliteration), Eastern European Travelers Asked for Her Recommended Plan by Name”

Staff assist a foreign traveler in applying for a SIM card. Photo provided.

How do you get overseas travelers interested in the Changshui counter before they even depart? Meng Ying, General Manager of Kunming Mobile’s Marketing Department, offered two key words: bloggers and tour guides.

One Ukrainian customer turned out to be Alyona, a Douyin influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers, known online as “Alyona in Yunnan (A Chinese Daughter-in-Law).”

She filmed the entire SIM card registration process and introduced the various plans in detail. After posting the video, some viewers commented that they would “get Alyona’s plan right after landing.”

More targeted results have come through partnerships with travel agencies. Kunming Mobile has established cooperation with three inbound tour operators to streamline services for foreign visitors.

“Anoupa, a Lao tour guide, brings every group he leads directly to our counter,” Meng said. “He says it saves the trouble of finding a store, and his clients praise him for being professional.”

“In the future, tour guides will be able to scan a code to pre-register their groups’ needs, so travelers can activate their SIM cards quickly upon arrival.”

Two Phones Failed to Work — A Backup Arrived in 20 Minutes

In the guestbook at the counter, a handwritten note from a Malaysian traveler has been laminated: “Thank you for making sure I wasn’t disconnected in a foreign country.”

The note dates back to a night shift in December 2025, when a traveler transiting from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou via Kunming encountered an emergency.

One of his phones supported only eSIM, while the other, an overseas model, could not recognize a domestic SIM card. Unable to contact the person scheduled to pick him up in Hangzhou, he grew increasingly anxious.

Staff quickly coordinated with another airport service hall seven kilometers away. Within 20 minutes, a backup phone was delivered and provided as a temporary loan, and they helped him install essential apps for payment, navigation and food delivery.

Seven days later, he returned the phone as promised and said sincerely, “China’s telecom service is like coffee — warm and energizing.”

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“We’re applying to extend our operating hours. Many international red-eye flights land at one or two in the morning, and travelers wander the airport searching for Wi-Fi. A 24-hour self-service terminal is already in the works.”

At around 10 p.m., staff are still providing services to foreign visitors. Photo provided.

By shifting services forward to the point of entry, the counter has created an integrated solution combining connectivity, payment and transportation — meeting foreign visitors’ needs to get online, make purchases and travel seamlessly the moment they land.

As Kunming accelerates its development into a regional international hub city, the airport telecom counter serves as the city’s first calling card.

The China Mobile international service counter at Kunming Changshui International Airport has become travelers’ first stop upon arriving in Yunnan. Photo provided.

At around 5 p.m., flights from Bangkok, Vientiane and Yangon landed in succession, and a line quickly formed again at the counter.

“Welcome to Kunming,” Hu Die said.

Click here to view the Chinese report

(Editors: Rachel, Evan)