China Telecom said that mobile was the “key growth driver” for its sound 2013 results, contributing almost half of the integrated operator’s revenue.

The company has been implementing a strategy based on ‘Three New Roles‘: “a leader of intelligent pipeline, a provider of integrated platforms, and a participant in content and application development.”

For the year, the company announced a profit of CNY17.54 billion ($2.83 billion), up 17.4 per cent year-on-year, on revenue of CNY321.58 billion, up 13.6 per cent.

Mobile revenue was CNY151.19 billion, up 28.3 per cent, and representing 47 per cent of its total.

Mobile service revenue was CNY113.8 billion, an increase of 23 per cent year-on-year, which was the “highest growth rate in the industry”.

Operating revenue excluding mobile terminal sales was CNY284.15 billion, up 10 per cent.

It said it has “expanded the variety of terminal models and optimised the structure of the company’s terminal device offerings”.

It added 25 million net subscribers, to take its total to 186 million. 3G subscriber additions were 34 million, taking its total past 100 million.

In a statement, chairman Wang Xiaochu said that following the 4G licensing process, China Telecom “embraces the best period of its full-services operations”.

It said it will “actively apply” for an LTE FDD permit, and will deploy its LTE network “appropriately with regard to the government policy and business development”.

The company is also promising “a seamless high-speed mobile network built through the hybrid LTE network, coupled with highly efficient and coordinated development of 4G and 3G”.

In a presentation, it noted that “most” of its LTE capital expenditure will support both LTE FDD and TD-LTE services, including infrastructure, towers and core network. Its deployment starts from hotpots in densely populated areas of cities, with services switched on in “nearly 100 major cities” in mid-February 2014.

It also noted it will “leverage the integrated operation edges of two super-fast networks (LTE and fibre to the home) to enhance future competitiveness”.

Wireline revenue was CNY170.4 billion, up 3.1 per cent, and making up the remaining 53 per cent of total sales.