[Photo/VCG]
June 6 marked the fifth anniversary of the commercial launch of the fifth-generation (5G) mobile network in China. On this day in 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the first 5G commercial licenses to China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Broadnet, the three most influential companies in China’s telecommunications sector.
With its high speed, low latency and multiple connectivity, 5G technology has revolutionized a wide range of industries, including big data and artificial intelligence (AI), enabling seamless connectivity for a large number of devices. Advances in smart home appliances, remote medical care and driverless driving technology are already becoming part of people’s daily lives and work.
China’s 5G sector has expanded rapidly over the past five years. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, 3.75 million 5G base stations had been installed nationwide as of the end of April, accounting for 31.7% of China’s total mobile base stations. The number of 5G subscriber mobile phones has reached 889 million, accounting for 50.6% of all mobile phones in use in China.
Since its commercialization five years ago, 5G technology has directly generated approximately 5.6 trillion yuan ($787.62 million) in economic benefits and indirectly boosted the country’s economy by 14 trillion yuan ($1.97 trillion).
These figures highlight China’s leading position in the world’s 5G applications. In China, the technology has been widely used in many fields, including manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, education, medical care, aviation, and power, accelerating the country’s digital transformation. It has not only served as a strategic infrastructure supporting digital and intelligent transformation, but also as a key industry driving industrial restructuring.
5G technology has enhanced the competitiveness of China’s industries. China’s progress has also had a major impact on the global stage, promoting the development and application of 5G technology around the world. Currently, China’s 5G essential standards patent claims account for 42% of the world’s total, playing a key role in advancing the development of 5G around the world.
China is committed to facilitating the continued evolution of technology, including advancements such as 5G-Advanced (5G-A). 5G-Advanced aims to unlock new possibilities for the Internet of Everything (IoE), building on the concept of the Internet of Things by incorporating humans and their interactions. It promises not only faster data speeds, but also improved reliability and power savings.
5G-A will promote the establishment of a new industrial model by integrating with technologies such as cloud computing, big data and AI. China Mobile has already launched the world’s first 5G-A commercial plan, expanding to more than 300 cities nationwide, laying the foundation for the world’s most extensive commercial 5G-A network. Building on the foundation of 5G, China has also begun research and development of 6G technologies.
The development of global communications technology shows that China is leading the way not only in technological development but also in its application. Countries that try to restrict the use of 5G products manufactured by tech giant Huawei and other Chinese companies, or block chip trade with China, are actually stifling the growth of their own communications technology. This is clearly not a positive approach.
China’s 5G achievements over the past five years show how important it is to reframe how we view Huawei and other Chinese 5G developers and see them as potential collaborators. Taking targeted measures against these companies, or pressuring or coercing other countries to do so, is a misguided approach.
In the approaching IoE era, everyone needs to be aware that the underdevelopment of 5G infrastructure will exacerbate the development gap between industries and countries.
