China Mobile lowers data price by 40% on 4G service packages

Company first carrier to respond to govt deregulation of telecom rates

China Mobile Ltd said on Wednesday it is lowering the price of its fourth-generation telecommunications service by roughly 40 percent. The announcement was the first response given to the government's decision announced last week to grant telecom operators full pricing autonomy.

The country's largest carrier by subscriber number hopes the discounted prices will bring new customers ahead of a competitive free-for-all in the 4G market.