China Steps up Commercialization of 5G

China is building the world’s largest 5G network.

Since the commercial use of 5G started in June 2019, China has accelerated the construction of its 5G network and gradually expanded 5G applications in all areas of life.

China Mobile’s applications show that above 80 percent of 5G application scenarios are in the Industrial Internet. There are 32,000 5G base stations used in providing Industrial Internet in China. At present, some industries like aviation, machinery, steel, mining, port, and energy have taken the lead in combining 5G technology and the Industrial Internet with six typical application scenarios emerging, including data collection and perception, high-definition video, machine vision, precise remote control, field assistance, and digital twin. The integration of 5G with artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies will spur the transformation of many industries’ digitalization, enable them to be more intelligent and cost-efficient, improve efficiency, and create new values.

Telecom enterprises for basic telecommunications business are ratcheting up innovations in 5G applications. The 5G message, by integrating voice, message, status bar, and location communication services among some others, can realize one-stop services including interaction, search, sharing, and payment in the message window without having to download any app. Apart from the 5G messaging service, Chinese telecom operators have also rolled out distinctive 5G applications like ultra-high-definition video, ringback tone video, cloud game, and cloud VR. Users of China Mobile’s related 5G services have surpassed 350 million. 5G has also ushered in a new era for smart medical care. Supported by 5G technology, Ai-aided medical care will help solve many problems in the field in China, like supply and demand imbalance, misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, and time-consuming in-person medical consultation.

In general, such industries as smart manufacturing, medical care, energy, agriculture, education, and finance will become key fields for 5G applications, and 5G applications are also expected to be seen at mines and ports. In the future, more and more new business models will emerge as the construction of supporting infrastructure for the 5G network speeds up and energy consumption of 5G base stations drops.