This marks the 64th original article from Think AI Club.

Comprising approximately 1,600 characters, this piece offers an estimated reading time of 5 minutes.

On May 17, China Telecom officially rolled out a nationwide trial commercial Token package.

For a mere 9.9 yuan per month, individual users can now access 10 million Tokens of AI computing power.

What does this pricing signify? It heralds the first instance where AI large model invocation services have embraced a "monthly subscription" model akin to mobile data plans.

Frankly, my initial reaction to this news was: Telecom operators are finally venturing into the AI realm.

Why telecom operators, you might ask?

Let's delve into some context. In 2025, China's mobile internet traffic surged by 17.3% year-on-year, with the average monthly data usage per user surpassing 20GB.

However, the conundrum lies in the fact that while traffic is on the rise, revenues are dwindling—annual mobile data service revenues plummeted by 3.1% year-on-year, underscoring the operators' growing predicament of "increasing volume without a corresponding revenue boost."

The ceiling for traffic-centric businesses is now within sight. Having made substantial investments in computing infrastructure, operators are compelled to seek new avenues for growth.

China Telecom Chairman Ke Ruiwen once remarked, "The essence of Token operations lies in delivering AI services to users."

In essence, telecom operators possess networks, computing power, and users; what they lack is a novel business model capable of integrating these resources. Tokens could very well be the missing piece.

What do these packages entail?

Specifically, China Telecom has introduced two distinct package types.

The Personal & Family Edition offers three tiers: Lite at 9.9 yuan/month for 10 million Tokens; Standard at 29.9 yuan/month for 40 million Tokens; and Premium at 49.9 yuan/month for 80 million Tokens.

These packages incorporate ecosystem models such as the Starry Sky Model (Xingchen Large Model) and DeepSeek V3.2, primarily tailored for daily office assistance, learning and creation, and copywriting scenarios.

Personal & Family Edition

The Developer & Enterprise Edition provides: Basic at 39.9 yuan/month for 15 million Tokens; Professional at 159.9 yuan/month for 70 million Tokens; and Flagship at 299.9 yuan/month for 150 million Tokens.

This edition integrates mainstream models like the Starry Sky Model (Xingchen Large Model) and GLM5, designed for professional scenarios such as AI programming, code debugging, and intelligent agent development.

Developer & Enterprise Edition

Both versions offer optional broadband upstream speed boost packages and security protection packages, delivering an "Token + Connectivity + Security" integrated service.

Interestingly, users can subscribe via the Tianyi Cloud website or China Telecom APP, or opt for a "cloud-AI integrated" delivery by directly purchasing Tianyi AI Cloud Computers equipped with built-in intelligent agents. Users with local hardware like Mac Mini can simply set their API key to commence service usage.

To be candid, China Telecom is not the pioneer in offering AI computing power packages among operators.

On May 16, Shanghai Telecom launched its Token package system, becoming the first operator in Shanghai to do so.

Earlier, at the 9th Digital China Summit, China Telecom also unveiled a one-stop Token service platform encompassing the entire chain of Token production, distribution, and monetization.

The nationwide rollout of this package signifies the consolidation of these explorations into a standardized product.

Nevertheless, questions persist: Can Token packages sidestep the pitfalls of traditional data plans?

Liu Liehong, Director of the National Data Administration, cautioned, "As Tokens emerge as the new pricing unit in the intelligent economy era, we must refrain from simply replicating the traditional tactics of the data era—'low prices to capture the market, subsidies to scale up.'"

The message is unequivocal: Prolonged price wars benefit no one and stifle innovation.

Operators are acutely aware of this.

Beyond merely selling Tokens, China Telecom is charting a long-term course: the Xingchen TokenHub platform, Tianyi Token coins, and a Token rights ecosystem—aiming to facilitate cross-device, cross-application Token sharing and expand the market rather than engage in cutthroat price competition.

Ke Ruiwen stated that future offerings will encompass integrated "AI applications + connectivity + security" services, with the Xing Xiaochen (Xing Xiaochen) intelligent agent serving as the gateway, covering functions like AI calling, writing, image/video generation, recording, and AI travel.

In essence, Tokens are merely the first step—a grander vision lies ahead.

Do ordinary people require Token packages?

Let's address the most pragmatic question: Do ordinary users need Token packages?

Honestly, if you only occasionally utilize services like Doubao or DeepSeek, you might not discern a significant difference.

After all, Doubao adheres to a "free basic + paid professional" model, and the free tier often suffices.

However, if you frequently harness AI capabilities—such as daily copywriting, image generation, office tasks, or if you're a developer needing to debug code or build intelligent agents—these packages offer commendable value.

The actual efficacy of Tokens remains to be tested and validated over time.

At 9.9 yuan per month for 10 million Tokens, you can compose hundreds of thousands of words or generate hundreds of images. For casual AI users, this should suffice.

More significantly, this represents a trend: AI computing power is transitioning from a "luxury" to a "daily necessity."

Just as data traffic evolved from "per-MB pricing" to "monthly GB packages," Tokens may emerge as the new standard for pricing AI-era computing power.

Once operators enter the fray, pricing will become more transparent, lowering the barrier for ordinary people to utilize AI.

Whether operators can discover new growth through this and whether Tokens can truly sustain the next decade remains to be seen.

But at least, the first stride has been taken.

In early May, China Galaxy Securities released a special report on the Token industry. Interested readers can send "Token" in the background to receive it gratis.

All content is sourced from publicly available information.

Written casually in my spare time for sharing, representing solely personal views.