GUANGDONG Province is expected to build 48,000 5G base stations in 2020, provincial governor Ma Xingrui said yesterday.

Ma made the announcement when delivering a government work report at the opening of the annual provincial legislative session.

In 2019, China granted 5G licenses for commercial use, marking the beginning of a new era in the country’s telecommunications industry.

Telecom operators are stepping up the construction of 5G base stations, which have totaled around 126,000. Last year, Guangdong built and put into operation more than 30,000 5G base stations.

To promote 5G network coverage and commercial use, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development is expected to launch standard specifications for 5G facility construction in new residential buildings and commercial premises before the end of June.

The province’s GDP is expected to rise around 6.3 percent to surpass 10.5 trillion yuan (US$1.53 trillion) in 2019.

Facing external uncertainties in 2019, Guangdong, a leading foreign trade player in the country, saw its imports and exports totaling 7.14 trillion yuan, down 0.3 percent year on year, according to the report.

The province unveiled 32 measures to boost high-quality development of foreign trade and explore international markets. Last year, Guangdong’s trade volume with the European Union and ASEAN rose 10.7 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively.

Guangdong’s actual use of foreign capital rose 3.5 percent to reach 150 billion yuan in 2019, Ma said.

The per capita disposable income in the province saw an increase of 8.6 percent to 38,900 yuan last year.

Guangdong also announced its 2020 growth target at about 6 percent.  (Xinhua)