China Mobile also plans to promote the launch of more than 20 5G-A compatible mobile phones in 2024.
Chinese carrier China Mobile plans to roll out 5G Advanced (5G-A) technology in more than 300 cities across China this year, according to local reports.
The carrier, which claims to be playing a leading role in the development of the 5G-A standard, also plans to facilitate the release of more than 20 5G-A compatible mobile phones by the end of the year.
To introduce the new 5G-A network, China Mobile has established 5G-A demo halls in various locations across China. According to the report, the carrier said that customers who own OPPO Find X7 Ultra smartphones can visit these halls and experience 5G-A technology.
Gao Tongqing, vice president of China Mobile, said the launch will further accelerate the development of new information infrastructure and unleash the full potential of 5G technology. The company also said it aims to popularize 5G-A technology in China through partnerships with manufacturers and chip suppliers.
The report also pointed out that Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are among the first cities where China Mobile will introduce the new technology.
China Mobile ended last year with a total of 465 million 5G subscribers, an increase of 42.1% year-on-year, and reported a net increase of 138 million 5G subscribers in 2023.
The company’s net profit last year rose 5% year-on-year to 131.7 billion yuan ($18.3 billion), and the carrier’s operating revenue rose 6.3% year-on-year to 863.5 billion yuan. In the mobile sector, the company’s subscriber numbers totaled 991 million at the end of 2023, an increase of 1.6% year-on-year.
Capital investment totaled 180.3 billion yuan, accounting for 20.9% of communications service revenue, down 1.9 points from the previous year.
As of the end of last year, there were 11.6 million mobile communication base stations in China, of which 3.4 million were 5G base stations. Currently, 5G base stations account for 29% of China’s total mobile base stations. This ratio has increased by 7.8 points compared to the end of 2022.
