Beijing, 21 January 2022 (TDI): China has recently seen a massive increase in 5G-related infrastructure and technology. Currently, 497 million users use 5G in the country.
In 2021 China launched a total of 1.425 million 5G base stations. The gigabit optical network has covered a total of 300 million households nationwide and all 512,000 administrative villages across China have been connected to broadband internet services last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
MIIT adds that it plans to triple the number of 5G bases to 3.64 by the end of 2025, under this plan there will be 25 5G base stations for every 10,000 people by the end of 2025. Additionally, there are more than 2,300 5G industry virtual private networks that have been built and commercialized.
The director of the information and communication department at the ministry, Xie Cun said that 5G base stations in China account for nearly 70% of the worldwide total, he also added that 5G coverage currently reaches 40% of all rural towns across China and 97% of counties.
With the increase in 5G base stations, 5G enabled smartphones have also seen a sizeable increase in the country. Shipments reached 266 million units in 2021, up 63.5% from the previous year. Shipments for 5G phones accounted for 75.9% of total mobile phones shipped during 2021.
The adoption of 5G phones is also in part due to their pricing. Most 5G-enabled smartphones fall below $157. China mobile, which boasts the highest number of subscribers in the world added a total of 18.86 million 5G subscribers at the tail end of last year. Other operators within the country added 242.1 million subscribers in the same time period.
What is 5G?
5G also known as the fifth-generation network is the new global wireless standard after 4G. 5G is designed to connect virtually everything and every one, this includes both users and machines. 5G delivers high-speed internet, ultra-low latency, and huge network capacity. Currently, China is at the forefront of the adoption of 5G.
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