The state-owned China Broadcasting Network Ltd. (CBN) secured a telecommunications business license from Chinese authorities on Thursday, making it the country's fourth telecom operator.
CBN and its subsidiary, China Cable Television Network Co., Ltd., have been authorized to provide domestic Internet data transmission and telecom infrastructure services, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on its website.
With the authorization, CBN, a builder and operator of China's cable TV network, officially joined the ranks of the country's telecom operators, which already include China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom.
The move was a step to increase competition and promote the "three-network convergence," a state-advocated project aimed at merging telecom, television and Internet services into a single network, the MIIT said.
A State Council document released last year drew out plans to allow radio and television stations to operate phone and Internet services, and for telecom companies to produce radio and television programs.
Established in 2014, CBN has registered capital of 4.5 billion yuan (692 million U.S. dollars).
