China To Build More Than Fifty Thousand 5G Base Stations By Year's End

5G provides the exchange of information at speeds above 10 Gbit per second, which is 30 times faster than existing 4G networks. 5G technologies also offer a more substantial network capacity and a minimum response time when downloading data. The International Telecommunication Union plans to introduce a new standard by 2020.

Beijing intends to build over 50,000 base stations for 5G networks in 50 major Chinese cities by the end of the year, according to Director of the Information and Communication Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Han Xia.

Speaking at a forum on 5G technology development as part of Smart China Expo-2019 exhibition, the ministry issued seven permits for the development of the equipment needed to introduce 5G network technology.

He also noted that it was necessary to create a suitable environment for the development of 5G technologies at the next stage to intensify the development of standards and norms for the fifth-generation networks, to popularise their use, and to strengthen political, financial, scientific and technical support.

In June, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China issued state licenses for the commercial use of the 5G network to four major mobile operators in the country including China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile, as well as the Chinese Media Corporation, which includes China Radio International, the national radio and central television.