China Mobile Ltd, China's biggest telecoms carrier, will step up its efforts in the mobile Internet sector, said a company official on Sept 11.

This comes at a time when data services have become an important revenue stream amid increasing use of smartphones in China.

According to an earlier report in China Business News, China Mobile has set up a team to establish a subsidiary devoted specifically to developing business in the mobile Internet space.

Liu Xin, general manager of the company's data business department, said mobile Internet will be the future direction of the company, but Liu did not comment on details in the report.

Data services represented 28.5 percent of the company's total revenues over the first half, according to its financial report.

Smaller rival China Telecom Corp Ltd has taken a similar approach by setting up its online payment company and an incubator for companies in the mobile Internet sector.