Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the telecommunications industry, indicating an expectation that the industry index will outperform the market index by more than 10% in the next six months [1]. Core Insights - The telecommunications operators are experiencing steady growth in their user base, with mobile phone users reaching 1.8 billion as of March 2025, an increase of 9.945 million from the previous year [5][12]. - The net profit for major operators such as China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom grew by 3.45%, 3.11%, and 6.50% respectively in Q1 2025, despite a slowdown in traditional telecom business revenue growth [23]. - The operators are focusing on enhancing shareholder returns, with dividend payout ratios for 2024 set at 73% for China Mobile, 72% for China Telecom, and 60% for China Unicom, reflecting a commitment to increasing cash distributions to shareholders [30][33]. Summary by Sections 1. Performance and Dividend Growth - The user base continues to grow, with mobile phone users reaching 1.8 billion and 5G users at 1.068 billion as of March 2025, marking a net increase of 5.445 million [12][5]. - The operators' revenue and profit are showing steady growth, with China Mobile's revenue for 2024 projected at 1,040.759 billion yuan, a 3.1% increase [18]. - The dividend payout ratios are increasing, with China Mobile planning a total dividend of 5.09 HKD per share for 2024, a 5.4% increase from 2023 [33]. 2. Capital Expenditure and Cloud Business Growth - Capital expenditures are focusing on computing power, with China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom planning capital expenditures of 151.2 billion, 83.6 billion, and 55 billion yuan respectively for 2025, reflecting a decrease from previous years [37][38]. - The cloud business is rapidly expanding, with China Mobile's cloud revenue expected to reach 100.4 billion yuan in 2024, a 20.4% increase [48]. - The operators are enhancing their cloud services, with China Telecom's cloud revenue projected to reach 113.9 billion yuan in 2025, a 17.1% increase [48]. 3. Vertical Applications and International Business Growth - The deployment of 5G applications is accelerating, with China Mobile's 5G private network revenue reaching 8.7 billion yuan in 2024, a 61% increase [61]. - All three major operators reported double-digit growth in international business revenue, with China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom achieving growth rates of 15.4%, 10.2%, and 15.2% respectively in 2024 [66][67]. - The operators are actively participating in international collaborations to promote 5G-A commercial deployment, showcasing their technological advancements at global events [66].