Residents across the Chinese mainland are getting a high-speed upgrade: 5G-Advanced (5G-A) is rolling out nationwide and across industries, promising speeds up to 10 times faster than standard 5G. Backed by the country’s major telcos, this next-gen network is primed to power immersive experiences — from naked-eye 3D holography to real-time traffic management — and drive the next industrial revolution.
Also known as 5.5G and a stepping stone toward 6G, 5G-A boosts capacity, reduces latency, and sharpens positioning accuracy. Instead of peak downloads of 1 gigabyte per second, users can now tap speeds that soar beyond 10Â Gbps. Uploads are similarly enhanced, paving the way for cloud data transfers at scale and holographic calls that once seemed futuristic.
"With faster connections, 5G-A enables extended reality (XR), holographic communication, cloud gaming, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks operating at millisecond-level latency," says Xu Chang, deputy general manager at CCID Consulting’s communication industry research center. "It also speeds up emergency communications and remote healthcare with near-instant feedback."
From smart factories to massive IoT sensor deployments, 5G-A’s support for billions of devices and sub-millisecond latency is transforming industries. Companies can automate workflows in real time, slash operational costs, and synchronize global supply chains with unprecedented precision.
China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom are racing to commercialize 5G-A. Test networks now span all 31 provinces and regions, supporting 50 million users in initial trials. China Mobile plans a 10Â billion yuan investment this year to expand AI-based applications and upgrade 400,000 base stations. China Unicom will activate 5G-A in 39 cities and 300 urban zones, focusing on IoT, Internet of Vehicles, and the industrial internet.
In Beijing alone, over 7,000 5G-A base stations already blanket the city within the sixth ring road, says Wang Juan, a China Mobile store manager in Shijingshan District. And most mainstream smartphones are 5G-A ready, so users can tap into faster speeds without extra fees.
As 5G-A takes hold, the Chinese mainland is poised for a digital leap — powering new forms of entertainment, smarter cities, and the rise of AI and brain-computer interfaces. Whether you’re a gamer chasing lag-free cloud play, a business leader optimizing automated factories, or a digital nomad streaming in a new city, 5G-A promises to reshape how we connect and create.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
