China ended last year with over 1 billion subscribers in the 5G field
Chinese telecom operators have deployed a total of 4.25 million 5G base stations across the country, according to local press reports citing official data.
More than 4,000 5G factories have been established across China, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Meanwhile, the number of 5G subscribers has surpassed 1 billion, with a population penetration rate exceeding 71% and the average monthly mobile data usage per user at 19 GB.
China plans to construct over 4.5 million 5G base stations in 2025 while introducing additional policy and financial incentives to support industries expected to shape the next decade, the MIIT previously announced during its annual work conference.
The Asian giant is also targeting a 5G user penetration rate exceeding 85% by the end of 2027, as it accelerates the deployment and large-scale application of 5G technologies, according to a report by the Global Times.
By that time, China aims to establish 38 5G base stations per 10,000 residents, with 5G connections projected to handle 75% of mobile internet traffic. Additionally, the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected via 5G is expected to surpass 100 million, according to the report.
The action plan, jointly developed by various government departments, sets a goal for 5G technologies to achieve 45% penetration in large and medium-sized industrial enterprises by the end of 2027. This initiative also underscores efforts to expand the integration of 5G into manufacturing, boost innovation in digital technologies and propel high-quality economic and social development.
China is expected to reach a 5G adoption rate of 90% by 2030, making it a world leader in this space, according to the GSMA’s Mobile Economy China 2024. The report predicted that by the end of 2024, the county will surpass 1 billion 5G connections and that by 2030, the number will soar to 1.6 billion connections, contributing $260 billion to China’s GDP.
Additionally, the report found that mobile data traffic in China is expected to quadruple by the end of the decade and that there are now 1.28 billion unique mobile subscribers in China, representing a penetration rate of 88%. Further, the advanced cellular ecosystem now supports almost 8 million jobs in China and contributes $110 billion a year through taxation, and in 2023, operator revenues reached $225 billion. By the end of the decade, the annual economic contribution from China’s mobile sector is forecast to exceed $1 trillion, predicted the GSMA.
