China Mobile Ltd, the world's biggest mobile operator by users, plans to offer a cloud storage service to Chinese users by the end of the year.

The Mcloud service, which is similar to Apple Inc's iCloud service, is now being tested, the company said.

The Chinese carrier plans to provide users with up to 16 gigabytes of storage space for free, while Apple offers 5 gigabytes.

Shen Hongqun, deputy general manager of the data business department at China Mobile, described Mcloud as a "digital information bank" for mobile Web users.

"In the past, people deposited valuables in banks. Now, as we enter a digital life era, we have new demands to keep our information safe, such as messages, files and photos," Shen said.

The Mcloud will help users manage nine major categories of personal information including audio, video, calendars and location information.

shenjingting@chinadaily.com.cn