China is marking a significant milestone as it celebrates the fifth anniversary of issuing its first batch of 5G licenses for commercial use. This anniversary highlights the nation's rapid advancement in 5G technology, with the introduction of 5G Advanced (5G-A) signaling a critical transition towards 6G, which many analysts view as a stepping stone for future technological innovations.
Experts emphasize that despite the challenges in evolving from 5G to 6G, each breakthrough and application innovation opens up new possibilities for industries and enhances smart living prospects. By the end of April, China had established nearly 3.75 million 5G base stations, averaging about 26 base stations per 10,000 people. Impressively, over 42 percent of the world's essential 5G standard patents are held by China. The technology has been seamlessly integrated into key sectors such as mining, electricity, and healthcare, moving from peripheral applications to core areas like research, design, and manufacturing.
Noteworthy achievements include China Mobile setting up the highest-altitude 5G base station at 6,500 meters on Mount Qomolangma in April 2020, and completing the deepest underground 5G network in Shanxi Province in June 2020. In March 2024, China Mobile launched the world's first commercial 5G-A network in Hangzhou, with plans to expand to over 300 cities by year-end.
Economic Output
To date, 5G applications have been integrated into 71 out of 97 key economic categories in China, with more than 94,000 5G commercialization projects underway. China boasts over 800 million 5G mobile phone users, accounting for over 52 percent of the global total. The nation aims to establish 10,000 5G factories during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
The commercialization of 5G has directly contributed approximately 5.6 trillion yuan (about $773 billion) to China's economy over the past five years, according to Zhao Zhiguo, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Furthermore, 5G has indirectly driven an additional 14 trillion yuan in economic output, underscoring the technology's pivotal role in China's high-quality development. Zhao highlighted China's global leadership in 5G infrastructure, continuous breakthroughs in core technologies, and successful integration of digital and physical applications since the first commercial 5G licenses were issued on June 6, 2019.
Looking ahead, the MIIT plans to deepen 5G network coverage, accelerate the expansion of 5G applications, and actively promote the modernization of the information and communication industry, Zhao added.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
