Shanghai eSIM
In Shanghai you connect to China Unicom or China Mobile, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The median across the country is 41 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- China Unicom and China Mobile
- Real speed in China
- 41 Mbps median, 10 Mbps for the slowest tenth1,130 travellers across China, rolling 90 days
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Shanghai
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $5.89 | $5.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $2.96 | $8.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $2.38 | $11.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.89 | $18.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.49 | $29.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $1.36 | $67.89 |
How China compares across Asia
- Speed rank
- 15 of 26 destinations we sell in Asia
- Regional median
- 44 Mbps
- Consistency
- The slowest tenth still reaches 24 percent of the median
- Upstream networks
- 2, China Unicom, China Mobile
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Cambodia, 42 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Indonesia, 38 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 4: Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian
- tenth percentile
- 10 Mbps
- Behind these figures
- 1130 travellers, rolling 90 days
Landing at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
- Airport
- PVG / ZSPD
- Distance
- 30 km from the centre of Shanghai
- SIM on arrival
- SIM counters or vending in the terminalThe airport operator lists a combined WiFi Rental and SIM Cards service among its passenger service facilities, but does not publish counter locations.
- Also serves
- Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)
Getting into Shanghai
- Shanghai Maglev, Pudong Airport to Longyang Road (PVG), about 8 minutes
- Airport Link Line, Shanghai Suburban Railway (PVG)
- Shanghai Metro Line 2 (PVG)
- Shanghai Metro Lines 2, 10 and 17 (SHA)
Underground and on the metro
Shanghai Metro runs 19 lines. It opened in 1993. The operator states mobile coverage throughout the tunnels.
Worth knowing about Shanghai
- The maglev covers the 30 km from Pudong airport to Longyang Road in about 8 minutes on an elevated guideway, not in tunnel, so a phone keeps line of sight the whole way.
- The maglev stops at Longyang Road, not in the centre, so arriving passengers still change to the metro to finish the trip.
- A dedicated Airport Link Line opened on 27 December 2024 with six entrances at Pudong Airport Terminal 1 and 2 station, running roughly every 15 minutes between 06:00 and 22:00.
- Both Shanghai airports sit on the metro network - Pudong 30 km east of downtown on Line 2, Hongqiao 13 km west on Lines 2, 10 and 17 - so a terminal-to-terminal transfer stays on rail.