CHINA has held a firm lead in 5G network deployment and subscriptions globally over the past three years, Wu Hequan, academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at the China 5G Development Conference.

The conference, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Shenzhen Municipal Government, was held in Shenzhen last week.

The number of 5G base stations built in China this September accounted for 20.6% of the total number of base stations in the country, and 60% of the world’s 5G base stations, according to Wu.

In September 2022, the number of 5G users in China accounted for 30.3% of the total number of mobile users in the country, and 60% of the world’s total.

The total investment of 5G operators over the past three years reached 477.2 billion yuan (US$66.61 billion). In 2021, the economic output and added value directly driven by 5G hit 1.3 trillion yuan and about 300 billion yuan, respectively, statistics showed.

Shenzhen has built a total of 64,000 5G base stations, with over 10 million 5G users, and is home to large quantities of enterprises covering the whole 5G industrial chain. The city has also set up technology platforms for 5G development, data released at the conference showed.

While achieving remarkable results, China is also facing challenges in 5G development, Wu said. Challenges include 5G application and pressure from achieving carbon peak and neutrality goals.

Si Han, president of Greater China for the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), said the number of global 5G subscriptions will exceed 1 billion by the end of 2022.

It is estimated that by 2025, 420 operators in the world will have commercial 5G networks in 133 countries and regions. By 2030, there will be 640 operators offering commercial 5G networks, which will reach almost all countries and regions in the world, according to Si.

“China leads the world in 5G development. At present, there are 2.2 million 5G base stations in China, accounting for over 60% of the world’s total,” Si said.

The number of 5G subscriptions in China reached 550 million, accounting for more than 65% of the world’s total. The number of IoT (Internet of Things) subscriptions hit 1.7 billion, making up 70% of the world’s total. Over 20,000 5G applications cover more than 40 vertical industries, according to Si.

(Zhang Yu)