Insights · Updated 2026-08
What is MCC 460? Mobile country code 460 explained (China)
460 is the Mobile Country Code (MCC) assigned to mainland China under ITU-T recommendation E.212. Every SIM issued by a Chinese mobile network begins its IMSI with 460, and every Chinese network's PLMN identifier is 460 followed by a two-digit Mobile Network Code (MNC). The dataset lists 13 allocations under 460, of which 5 operator brands are currently operational.
What MCC 460 actually identifies
An MCC identifies the country a network belongs to, not a phone number's dialling code. China's international dialling prefix is +86, but its MCC is 460 — two separate numbering systems that happen to sit side by side on the SIM. The MCC lives inside the IMSI (the identity your SIM presents to the network); the +86 prefix lives in the E.164 telephone number. See MCC vs country calling code for why the two never match by design.
Combine the MCC with an operator's MNC and you get a PLMN — the code that actually names a network. For example, 46000 decodes as 460 (China) + 00 (China Mobile). The zero-padding is significant: MNC 00 is China Mobile, and it is not the same as 0 or any other value.
Operators and MNCs behind MCC 460
Mainland China's mobile market is dominated by three state-backed carriers, plus a cable-TV entrant and a fixed-line operator. Subscriber figures below are from the dataset's most recent published counts (2026-Q1); the "MNC(s)" column lists the operational codes each brand uses under 460.
| Operator | MNC(s) | Subscribers | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Mobile | 00 | 1,009M | 58.2% |
| China Telecom | 03, 11 | 441M | 25.4% |
| China Unicom | 01, 09 | 242M | 14% |
| China Broadnet | 15 | 43M | 2.5% |
| China Tietong | 20 | — | — |
China Mobile (46000) is the largest mobile operator on the planet by subscribers — it appears at the very top of our largest operators worldwide ranking. China Telecom (46003, 46011) and China Unicom (46001, 46009) hold second and third place domestically. China Broadnet (46015) launched 5G service as a fourth carrier, running as a shared network with China Mobile.
China's other MCCs: Hong Kong and Macau
MCC 460 covers mainland China only. Hong Kong SIMs start with 454 and Macau SIMs with 455 — both are separate MCCs with their own operators, even though they share the +86 region in other contexts (Hong Kong dials +852, Macau +853). A roaming phone that reports PLMN 45400 is on a Hong Kong network, not a mainland one.
46003 → 460 (China) · 03 (China Telecom)
46009 → 460 (China) · 09 (China Unicom)
How to look up a 460 code
To resolve any 460xx PLMN to its operator, search the registry for the code, open the China country page for the full grouped list of networks, or query the free JSON API with the PLMN. If you only have a phone number rather than a code, see how to find the carrier from a phone number — MNC alone is not carried in an ordinary +86 number.
MCC/MNC assignments follow ITU-T E.212. Subscriber counts are parsed from public operator data and reflect each operator's most recent published figure. Explore the raw rows in the registry.