China Mobile plans to launch 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology in over 300 cities across China this year
China Mobile, the world’s largest operator in terms of subscribers, recorded operating revenues of CNY546.7 billion ($76.3 billion) in the first half of the year, up 3% year-on-year, the telco said in its earnings statement.
The company’s net profit increased 5.3% year-on-year to CNY80.2 billion. Also, the operator reported that revenue from telecommunications services was CNY463.6 billion in H1, up by 2.5% year-on-year.
The telco ended the first half of the year with a total of 514 million 5G subscribers after a net addition of 49 million 5G customers during the period. In the mobile segment, the telco reached a total of 1 billion subscribers at the end of June 2024.
Yang Jie, chairman of China Mobile, said: “In the first half of 2024, despite various challenges faced by the company with a complex external environment, we worked closely together and forged ahead with determination as a strong team to seize the important opportunities brought by developing new quality productive forces to the information services industry.”
China Mobile plans to launch 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology in over 300 cities across China this year, according to previous press reports.
The telco, which claims a leading role in the development of 5G-A standards, also plans to promote the release of over 20 5G-A compatible phones within the year.
To showcase its new 5G-A network, China Mobile has established 5G-A demonstration halls in various locations across China.
China Mobile’s vice president, Gao Tongqing, previously stated that this launch will further accelerate the development of new information infrastructure and unlock the full potential of 5G technology. The carrier also said it aims to achieve widespread adoption of 5G-A technology in China through partnerships with manufacturers and chip suppliers.
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are among the first cities where China Mobile will activate the new technology.
Chinese mobile operators had deployed a total of 3.92 million 5G base stations by the end of June, according to the the latest available data from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The ministry reported that Chinese telcos had installed a total of 540,000 5G base stations in the first half of the year.
Also, 5G base stations accounted for 33% of the total number of mobile base stations nationwide, according to the official data.
Since the issuance of China’s first batch of 5G licenses for commercial use five years ago, 5G technology has been integrated into various sectors such as industry, power, mining, healthcare and education. The report also highlighted that China has also built nearly 300 5G factories and launched over 13,000 projects for the application of 5G technology in industrial settings.
