(Yicai Global) Oct. 25 -- Some users of China United Network Communications Group Co., one of China's big three state-owned telecoms operators and better known as China Unicom, recently reported online that they were able to use the firm's self-service feature to freely change between the carrier's internet packages. The provider has responded by saying that this isn't possible.

The internet packages in question are special China Unicom tariffs associated with internet firms, such as e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. [NYSE:BABA] and gaming juggernaut Tencent Holdings Ltd. [HKG:0700], state-owned China News Service reported on Oct. 24.

These special packages allow users to get free data to use the firm in question's applications. For example, if somebody had the Tencent package, they could use the company's social media and messaging app WeChat without paying data charges. However, they would still need to pay as normal for non-Tencent applications.

The company-based packages are still in a pilot stage, China Unicom said. There is a big difference between these tariffs and the company's existing rates, so the carrier's system does not allow conversion between its traditional tariffs and the new internet packages, it added.

However, the operator is optimizing the transfer process to make it more convenient for users who want to switch between internet packages, it added.