Q2 2026 China Tower Corp Ltd Earnings Call
Speaker #1: And of the company. Mr. Chen Li, Executive Director and General Manager of the company. Mr. Yuwen Kai, Executive Director and our Chief Accountant, Mr. Hu Shaofeng.
Speaker #1: Today's event will be divided into two parts. Firstly, the management team will give you a presentation on the overall operating performance of the company, and we're going to have the Q&A session.
Speaker #1: Now, first of all, I'm going to give the floor to our chairman, Mr. Zhang Zhiyong, to tell you the overall performance of the company in the first half of the year of 2026.
Speaker #1: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome. To China Towers 2026 internal results announcement. Here, I'd like to express our gratitude to you for your long-term support and interest in China Tower.
Speaker #1: Today's presentation will be divided into three parts. First, I will report on the company's overall performance for the first half of 2026. Mr. Chen Li, and Mr. Hu Shaofeng will then walk you through the business performance and financial performance, respectively.
Speaker #1: Lastly, we will take your questions during the Q&A session. The PPT has already been uploaded to the official website of the company at noon.
Speaker #1: For the first half of the year, the highlights of the company's performance are mainly reflected in the following four aspects. First, net profit increased by 30.1% year on year.
Speaker #1: Second, revenue contribution from the two-weeks business increased to 16.3%. Third, we've made remarkable progress in the commercialization of technological achievements. Fourth, interim dividend increased by 44.3% year on year due to our very proactive dividend policy.
Speaker #1: You can have a clearer idea of all these indicators from this slide. In terms of key indicators, the company recorded operating revenue of RMB 48.69 billion in the first half, down by 1.8% year on year.
Speaker #1: Net profit was RMB 7.49 billion, up 30% year on year. Operating cash flow amounted to RMB 7.14 billion. As at the end of June 2026, number of sites was 2.172 million.
Speaker #1: Up by 2.5% year on year. Number of tenants reached 3.871 million. Up by 0.7% year on year. The tower tenancy ratio stood at 1.78 tenants per site.
Speaker #1: In the first half, the company actively seized the development opportunities, brought by the strategies of cyber power digital China and dual carbon. Revenue from the TSB business reached RMB 40.36 billion.
Speaker #1: Accounting for 82.9% of total revenue. As you can see from this pie chart and the bar chart, revenue from the two-weeks business was RMB 7.92 billion, up by 14.2% year on year.
Speaker #1: With its share of total revenue further increasing to 16.3%. The 1.2-weeks strategy continued to deepen. For the TSB business, the company further implemented the national dual gigabit network joint entry campaign.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, revenue from the TSB business amounted to RMB 40.36 billion. Down by 5% year on year. Specifically driven by customers' network deployment optimization adjustment, simplified base station upgrades, and the continued development of the 4G single network for China Telecom.
Speaker #1: And China Unicom, revenue from our tower business amounted to RMB 35.26 billion. So there is a decrease of 6.7% in our tower business. Revenue from our DS business amounted to RMB 5.09 billion.
Speaker #1: Up by 9.2% year on year. So if we add these two together, we have a 5% decrease in terms of TSB business year on year.
Speaker #1: We're going to talk about this later. And I'd say the impact is just temporary. Regarding the smart tower business, the company continued to cultivate key industries and key scenarios, supporting national strategies and major projects, while steadily building growth momentum.
Speaker #1: First, digital governance was strengthened. Second, the company continued to build innovative business models with strengthened product R&D, accelerated the development of low-altitude economy business, and fostered new growth drivers.
Speaker #1: Third, overall capabilities were enhanced. The company strengthened the resource sharing capabilities of its nationwide distributed platform and developed large models across southern industry segments.
Speaker #1: And we'll try to empower the digital governance of our customers. Fourth, we consolidated the foundation for development. The company enhanced product iteration development, strengthened the development of localized technical support teams, and built a full-chain network and information security system.
Speaker #1: In the first half, the smart tower business recorded revenue of RMB 5.33 billion, up 12.8% year on year. As for the energy business, the company focused on its core businesses, such as battery exchange and power backup, and enhanced its market competitiveness by leveraging its key strengths in products, services, and platforms.
Speaker #1: First, the company accelerated product iteration. And enhanced the performance of battery exchange and charging products, optimized the standardized power backup product metrics, and promoted the application of integrated solutions.
Speaker #1: Second, the company strengthened refined operations. It optimized the battery scheduling and recovery of degraded batteries, continued to reach service options, and improved user experience.
Speaker #1: Third, the company promoted platform upgrades. It optimized the online marketing and asset management modules for battery exchange and charging, strengthened support capabilities such as independent customer acquisition, and intelligent scheduling.
Speaker #1: And iterated and upgraded the energy bottler platform to support the expansion of various integrated energy application scenarios in hospitals, campuses, and others. Fourth, the company enhanced its service capabilities.
Speaker #1: It upgraded its intelligent customer service, enhanced the customer service perception mass market, and continuously improved customer satisfaction. In the first half, the energy business generated revenue of RMB 2.59 billion, up 17.3% year on year.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, the company continued to deepen reform to improve quality and efficiency, fully unleashed its organic growth potential, and consolidated the foundation for high-quality development.
Speaker #1: First, it focused on optimizing the business layout. The company leveraged its resources strengths in location plus computing plus power plus security to actively explore emerging businesses, such as low-altitude economy and edge computing.
Speaker #1: It improved the 1.2-weeks entire product lifecycle management system, strengthened the deep integration of technological innovation, business operations, enhanced product iteration, development, and supply capabilities, and increased the supply of high-quality products.
Speaker #1: Second, it strengthened frontline regional development. The resource support. The company continued to improved tiered management and resource support, empowered regional operations. Third, it improved operational management efficiency.
Speaker #1: The company promoted the implementation of the 1.2-weeks business system for logistical construction and maintenance, and realized intensive operation management, expanded one code for all applications, promoted intelligent operations and maintenance to achieve lean asset management.
Speaker #1: It also focused on key scenarios, such as construction maintenance and billing, and revenue generation, and strengthened the comprehensive coverage of AI plus to accelerate the digital intelligent transformation of production and operations.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, the company centered its efforts on the 1.2-weeks business areas, concentrating on achieving breakthroughs in technologies, accelerating the commercialization of research outcomes, and empowering the development of new quality productive forces, thereby delivering significant results in technological innovation.
Speaker #1: First, we achieved breakthroughs in core technologies, with a focus on next-generation mobile communication AI and low-altitude economy. The number of granted patents increased by 132% year on year.
Speaker #1: Two, new international standards were approved for projects initiation. One of the projects won the second prize of the State Science and Technology Progress Award.
Speaker #1: All together, 133 awards were given out, and we got one of them. Second, we accelerated the commercialization of our research outcomes and achieved the large-scale application of innovative products, such as the new 5G leakage coaxial cables, the tower monitoring platform, and meter high-point video AI algorithm, and integrated energy service platforms.
Speaker #1: The monitoring spatial governance dataset was selected as an outstanding achievement in the high-quality datasets for industrial applications from SOEs. While the digital intelligence and LOT comprehensive governance scenario was selected as a strategic high-value AI application scenario for SOEs.
Speaker #1: Third, we accelerated the upgrading of the innovation system. The company continued to advance the high-quality development of the six scientific and technological innovation centers and actively participated in the development of key labs, innovation consortia, and consortia for the industrialization of technological achievements.
Speaker #1: The company has always attached great importance to shareholders' returns. Maintained an active dividend policy. And remained committed to sharing the benefits of its business development with all shareholders.
Speaker #1: So the board of directors has decided to distribute an interim dividend of RMB 0.19122 per share before tax. Representing a year-on-year increase of 44.3%.
Speaker #1: The cash flow was temporarily under pressure in the first half of the year, with our continuous effort. The situation is going to improve in the second half of the year.
Speaker #1: And that is why we are able to achieve a 44% increase in our dividend payout. In the future, the company will actively enhance corporate value and continue to deliver greater returns to all shareholders.
Speaker #1: The company plays great emphasis on sustainable development and actively fulfills ESG responsibilities. First, we implemented the green development. We coordinated advanced co-building and co-sharing of digital infrastructure and expanded the application of clean energy, such as PV, at base stations.
Speaker #1: We also deepened the application of digital intelligence technologies. Second, we strengthened our sense of responsibility. We improved network coverage in rural and remote areas.
Speaker #1: And we provided emergency communication support for disaster prevention and response and relief. And safeguarding smooth rescue operation alongside command and communication security. Third, we improved our corporate governance.
Speaker #1: We strictly complied with listing regulations and consistently maintained a high standard of governance, corporate governance. We are committed to advancing the development of legal and operational compliance management systems and enhanced early risk warning and prevention capabilities.
Speaker #1: We also continue to improve the quality information closure, strengthen communication engagement with the capital markets, and improve the transparency of the listed company. Going forward, the company will remain committed to its 1.2-weeks position in focus on enhancing its core capabilities, reasoning as our core competitiveness, continue to deepen resource sharing, improve operational efficiency, and create greater value for shareholders, customers, and societies because China Tower is based on sharing so that's where we're going to work on in the future.
Speaker #1: On the TSP business front, the expansion of 5G and 5GA coverage in both breadth and depth continued. We will fully capitalize on the development opportunities brought by national policies, including the upgrade in signal strength, extending broadband coverage to border areas, forests, and grasslands, and upgrading sitting action plan for 5G applications and high-quality urban development.
Speaker #1: The superposition of national policies, such as construction of six networks, brings broad opportunities for the company. The company will seize these opportunities, fully meet customer demands, and help consolidate and enhance the competitive advantage.
Speaker #1: And leading position of the telecom industry as for the two-weeks business, we are actively support digital intelligence governance and the transformation to green, low-carbon development.
Speaker #1: We will continue to strengthen product innovation and optimize our business layout to drive the sustained and rapid development of the two-weeks business. And that wraps up my part.
Speaker #1: Next, Mr. Chen Li, our general manager, will present the details of the company's business performance. Thank you.
Speaker #2: Thank you.
Speaker #1: Thank you, Chairman. I will now present the company's operational performance for the first half of the year. This table outlines the revenue of our businesses and the relevant changes as well as the key operating data, which I will elaborate on.
Speaker #1: Regarding the tower business, first, we provided embedded services that fully integrate with TSP network planning. Focusing on key scenarios such as capacity expansion and hotspot coverage, enhancement in urban areas, as well as broad rural coverage to support extensive and deep 5G network coverage.
Speaker #1: Second, we proactively conducted coverage analysis enhanced network optimization capabilities. Focused on solving customers' urgent and pressing concerns leveraged our strengths in resource coordination. Tackled difficult site selection issues and strived to improve construction delivery efficiency.
Speaker #1: Third, we improved support for the needs of key industries by fully implementing an integrated resource-plus-demand coordination approach and actively capturing the network coverage demand from key industries, such as culture and tourism, education and transportation.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, the company constructed 187,000 5G base stations during the period, bringing the cumulative total to 3.31 million base stations, with over 95% of 5G stations being built through a sharing existing sites.
Speaker #1: At the end of June, the number of TSP tenants stood at 3.565 million, and the TSP tower tenancy ratio was 1.69. As for the DS business, first, we strengthened coordination with major project construction.
Speaker #1: Accelerated demand acquisition, leveraged our advantages of coordinated site entry, promoted the implementation of mandatory regulations for telecom infrastructure acceptance, and enhanced market service support.
Speaker #1: Second, we stepped up innovation in DS technologies. Products and solutions strengthened the implementation of new products and solutions, such as active and passive DS integration, and shared model repeaters to unlock additional growth opportunities in DS market.
Speaker #1: Third, we focused on launching special campaigns targeting coverage in elevators and underground parking garages, as well as 5G upgrades for high-speed railways. We utilized shared low-power repeaters to reduce investment in signal resources, and transmission infrastructure.
Speaker #1: We're continuously improving the level of professional services. In the first half of the year, revenue from the DS business reached R&B 5.09 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 9.2%, a total of 1.02 billion square meters of building floor areas was added, bringing the total coverage to 16.17 billion square meters.
Speaker #1: We also added 2,450 kilometers of coverage in subways and railway tunnels, with total coverage reaching 36,111 kilometers. The scale of the DS business continued to expand.
Speaker #1: Regarding the smart tower business, the company focuses on spatial digital intelligence governance and continues to defend its presence in key industries and scenarios. More than 260,000 digital towers are widely serving over 10 industries, including land resources, emergency response water conservancy, and environmental protection, with market share steadily increasing key areas such as our straw-burning prohibition, farmland protection, disaster alert, in the first half of the year, smart tower business maintained its growth momentum.
Speaker #1: Revenue from the monitoring business reached R&B 3.2 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.5%, and accounting for 60% of the smart tower business revenue.
Speaker #1: Revenue from the sharing business reached R&B 2.13 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.1%. In the first half of the year, the company leveraged its advantages in meeting high-point point site resources and continued to strengthen the operating capabilities of the smart tower business.
Speaker #1: In terms of the platform capabilities, we strengthened nationwide platform sharing, established a tiered platform architecture system, and developed flexible support capabilities for multiple scenarios and differentiated needs.
Speaker #1: Enabling rapid and precise adaptation to customers' needs. In terms of algorithm capabilities, we leveraged the data advantages of our sample library of more than 1.1 billion metro high-point samples to improve the efficiency of algorithm R&D and iteration.
Speaker #1: Thereby continuously consolidate our competitive edge in this area. In terms of product capabilities, we continue to deepen our capabilities in industrial application and proactively explore new business products.
Speaker #1: In terms of service capabilities, we implemented a major infrastructure framework to enhance delivery capabilities. In terms of innovation capabilities, we deepened the commercialization of large models and intelligent agents and fully unleashed innovation momentum by leveraging the nation innovation platform for industrial education integration and postdoctoral workshops.
Speaker #1: As for the development of a better exchange business, first, the company continued to strengthen user operations and enhance the user experience through measures such as expanding the VIP user base and enriching user rights and benefits.
Speaker #1: Resulting in a further expansion of customer base for its better exchange and charging business. As of 30th June 2026, the company had 1.493 million better exchange users, further consolidating its market leadership.
Speaker #1: Second, the company accelerated network construction and continuously optimized the layout of the battery exchange and charging network and battery algorithms. Effectively improving user convenience and expanding the user base.
Speaker #1: As of 30th June 2026, the company had launched battery exchange and charging services in more than 340 cities. Revenue from the battery exchange business reached R&B 1.6 billion in the first half of the year, up 20.6% year-on-year.
Speaker #1: Maintaining sound growth momentum. As for the power backup business, the company continued to strengthen product promotion by launching multiple high-performance power supply security products for key scenarios.
Speaker #1: It developed multiple PV and energy consumption management products to meet customers' needs for power supply security, carbon reduction, and energy conservation. The company continued to enhance service support by strengthening the development of the companion service system for corporate customers and continuously improving capabilities in demand response, project delivery, and maintenance support.
Speaker #1: The company also continued to advance platform upgrades by iterating and upgrading application modules for various scenarios to address customers' diverse needs, enhancing digital operational capabilities and promoting visualization and refined controls throughout the entire process.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, revenue from the power backup business reached R&B 1 billion, up 12.4% year-on-year, continuing its robust growth momentum.
Speaker #1: Next, Mr. Hu Shaofeng will present the financial performance for the first half of the year. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chen Li. This table shows our key financial indicator for the first half of 2026.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, the company maintained stable overall performance, effectively managed cost and expenses, further improved profitability, and sustained a sound capital structure.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, operating expenses totaled R&B 37.58 billion, down 8.3% year-on-year. The operating expense accounted for 77.2% of operating revenue, down 5.4% year-on-year.
Speaker #1: In terms of depreciation and amortization, it amounted to R&B 19.14 billion in the first half of the year, down 25.2% year-on-year, or R&B 6.46 billion.
Speaker #1: This was primarily due to the expiration of the depreciation period for the acquired tower assets and the adjustment to the depreciation period for DS assets.
Speaker #1: In terms of repairs and maintenance expenses, it totaled R&B 3.79 billion, up 19% year-on-year, or R&B 600 million. This was mainly due to the company's continued strengthening of special rectifications for identifying and addressing potential asset risks.
Speaker #1: Employee benefits and expenses totaled R&B 4.84 billion in the first half of the year, up 1.6% year-on-year, or R&B 80 million. This was due to the company's efforts to advance R&D innovation and regional management reform.
Speaker #1: Site operation and support expenses totaled R&B 2.89 billion in the first half of the year, representing a year-on-year increase of 14%, or R&B 315 million.
Speaker #1: This was mainly due to the company's accelerated development of site operations and digital capabilities and others. Other operating expenses totaled R&B 6.92 billion, up 41.6% year-on-year, or R&B 2.03 billion.
Speaker #1: This is mainly due to various increases in our marketing expenses and cost related to integrating services increased by R&B 810 million, and provision for bad debts increased by 540 million year-on-year.
Speaker #1: In the first half of the year, the company recorded operating profit of R&B 11.111 billion, net profit attributed to owners of the company was R&B 7.49 billion, up 30.1% year-on-year.
Speaker #1: EBITDA for the first half of the year was R&B 30.25 billion, down 11.6% year-on-year, mainly due to lease terminations resulting from the network optimization adjustment by TSP customers.
Speaker #1: The impact of ultra-link site upgrades and the increase in maintenance expense related to the service life expansion extension of Aegean Tower assets. The company made effective investments in line with its business development and building needs.
Speaker #1: Capital expenditure for the first half of the year was R&B 11.65 billion, down 6% year-on-year, or R&B 714 million. Capex for new site construction and augmentation totaled R&B 6.49 billion, down 1.7% year-on-year, capex on site replacement improvement amounted to R&B 2.09 billion.
Speaker #1: Down 12.2% year-on-year. Capex on IT support and purchase of comprehensive product facilities amounted to 450 million, down R&B 490 million a year, capex for the two-ways business totaled R&B 2.62 billion.
Speaker #1: Up 6% year-on-year. Cash flow was temporarily under pressure for the first half of the year. Operating cash flow was R&B 7.14 billion, down R&B 21.54 billion year-on-year.
Speaker #1: This was mainly attributed to longer customer payment cycles and increasing collections settled by bills. Free cash flow for the first half of the year was negative R&B 4.52 billion.
Speaker #1: As of the 30th, June 2026, the company's total assets still at R&B 351.24 billion, total liabilities amounted to R&B 145.53 billion, which R&B 94.74 billion was net debt.
Speaker #1: The company's liability to asset ratio was 41.4%. The company will continue to difference one quantum with strategy buildings professional intensive delicate efficient and digitalized operating system.
Speaker #1: It will also strengthen effective investment, enhance its lean management capabilities, and drive continuous improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness to drive the sustainable and healthy growth of the company and create greater value for shareholders.
