Biggest Mobile Networks in the World: Chart (Infographic)

China Mobile is the biggest mobile network in the world, with 1,011 million mobile customers in June 2026, almost twice the next operator on this chart, Reliance Jio, at 533 million. China Telecom (442 million), America Movil (334 million), Orange (321 million) and MTN (318 million) follow, with Telkomsel and VEON each just over 150 million. This chart ranks the largest mobile operators by subscribers from each company's latest results.

Last checked: 27 October 2026. Figures come from company results and announcements. Operators count customers in different ways, so treat the chart as a guide to scale, not an exact ranking.

Key figures

• China Mobile: 1,011 million mobile customers (June 2026).
• Reliance Jio: 533 million customers (June 2026).
• China Telecom: 442 million mobile subscribers (20 August 2026).
• America Movil: 334 million wireless subscribers (June 2026).
• Orange: 321 million mobile accesses (June 2026).
• MTN: 318 million customers (June 2026).
• Telkomsel and VEON: 153.5 million customers and 151.5 million mobile customers (both June 2026).
• Counted differently, so not drawn: Bharti Airtel, 681 million customers across all services in 15 countries; Telefonica, 300 million accesses across all services; China Unicom, 1.31 billion connectivity subscribers including 773 million IoT connections (all June 2026). Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom report customers by region, not as one total.

What this means

The chart shows how concentrated mobile is: the two Chinese operators drawn here have more than 1.4 billion mobile customers between them, and only China Mobile passes the billion mark on a like-for-like mobile count. Bharti Airtel would sit second if its all-services figure were drawn, which is why the labels on each bar (customers, subscribers, accesses) matter as much as the length.

For travellers, size matters less than which local network your phone uses abroad. A travel eSIM lists the networks it connects to on each plan, so you can check before you buy. Browse regional and global eSIMs, and check your phone with our compatibility checker.

Read the full guide

Our full guide to the biggest mobile networks in the world covers each group's brands by country, recent mergers, and the networks SimplySIM plans use in 12 popular destinations. For the cost side of roaming, see our UK roaming charges 2026 guide, and if data stops working abroad, the eSIM no-data checklist.

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<a href="https://simplysim.co.uk/article/biggest-mobile-networks-infographic"><img src="https://simplysim.co.uk/img/articles/infographics/biggest-mobile-networks-in-the-world-chart.png" alt="Chart of the biggest mobile networks in the world by customers, 2026" width="1200" height="1243"></a><br>Infographic by <a href="https://simplysim.co.uk/article/biggest-mobile-networks-infographic">SimplySIM</a>

FAQs

What is the largest mobile operator in the world?

China Mobile, with 1,011 million mobile customers in June 2026.

Why is Bharti Airtel not drawn on the chart?

Its 681 million figure covers all services across 15 countries, not just mobile, so it cannot be compared directly with the mobile counts on the bars. It is listed below the chart instead.

Why are Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom missing from the chart?

Both report their customers by region rather than as one group total, so there is no single comparable figure to draw.

Is China Unicom bigger than China Mobile?

Not on a mobile basis. China Unicom reports 1.31 billion connectivity subscribers, but that includes 773 million IoT connections, so it is not a count of mobile customers.