In a significant stride towards technological advancement, Chinese operators have been making remarkable progress in expanding their 5G infrastructure across the country. State news agency Xinhua (via RCRWireless) reported that China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology disclosed data revealing the installation of a staggering 2.73 million 5G base stations, accounting for 24.5% of the nation's overall mobile base stations.
China's Eastern region emerges as the leader in 5G construction, with an impressive count of 1.29 million 5G base stations, representing over 47% of the total in the country. With such remarkable figures, the ministry's previous projection of 2.9 million 5G base stations by the end of this year seems highly likely.
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As of April's end, the cumulative number of 5G mobile users served by China's three major telecom operators—China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom—reached a remarkable 634 million. This accounts for a net increase of 73.08 million users since the conclusion of last year.
Highlighting China's commitment to cutting-edge technology, the Chinese government disclosed that 110 cities in the country are equipped with gigabit 5G and optical fiber services as of October 2022. Notably, over 80% of prominent public hospitals, key universities, major cultural and tourist sites, airports, and vital roadways in these cities have access to 5G networks, signalling the widespread integration of this advanced technology.
A recent report titled "The Mobile Economy China 2023" by the GSMA has shed light on the remarkable impact of 5G technology on the Chinese economy. According to the report, 5G technology is predicted to contribute a staggering $290 billion to the Chinese economy by 2030, with its benefits permeating across various industries.
China's dominant position in the global 5G market is evident, as it accounted for more than 60% of global 5G connections by the end of 2022. As consumers continue to embrace 5G, the focus of operators is shifting towards leveraging its potential for enterprises. This transition opens up avenues to explore additional revenue streams beyond connectivity, such as cloud services, in which Chinese operators have made significant strides.
