Penetration of 5G services in China already reached 75.9%
In sum – what you need to know:
5G boom continues – China has surpassed 4.39 million 5G base stations as of March 2025, with 5G user penetration reaching 75.9%.
Digital economy grows fast – Core digital sectors, driven by 5G and large AI models, recorded 8.2% year-on-year revenue growth in the first two months of 2025.
Next-gen infrastructure ahead – China is preparing trials for 10-gigabit optical networks and investing in computing power for AI.
China has surpassed 4.39 million 5G base stations as of the end of March, with 5G user penetration climbing to 75.9%, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Speaking at a press briefing, MIIT chief engineer Xie Shaofeng said the country’s digital infrastructure continues to advance at a fast pace,
Xie also highlighted the rapid development of key digital technologies, including 5G and large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) models. He also reported that the digital sector recorded an 8.2% increase in revenue year-on-year during the first two months of 2025.
Digital technologies, represented by 5G and large artificial intelligence (AI) models, have developed rapidly, Xie said, noting that the digital sector has achieved a year-on-year revenue growth of 8.2% in the first two months.
The Asian giant 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 country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) previously announced during its annual work conference.
The MIIT emphasized that “promoting 5G revolution and 6G innovation will be one of the priorities” for 2025, according to a report by Chinese newspaper China Daily.
In addition to its expected expansion in the 5G field, the Chinese government noted that it is also set to begin trials for 10-gigabit optical networks and enhance computing power infrastructure, reflecting the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile carrier in terms of subscribers, has outlined plans to deploy 340,000 additional 5G base stations in 2025. With these new 5G deployments, China Mobile’s total 5G base stations will reach nearly 2.8 million by the end of 2025.
Mobile technologies and digital transformation will contribute $2 trillion to China’s economy, or 8.3% of China’s GDP by 2030, according to a recent GSMA report.
The Mobile Economy China 2025 report forecast that 5G technology and its ecosystem will benefit all sectors of the Chinese economy, with the manufacturing sector expected to drive 40% of that $2 trillion economic impact by 2030.
In 2024, mobile technologies and services generated $1.2 trillion of economic value, around 6.2% of China’s GDP.
Chinese operators are developing solutions for the enterprise segment by integrating AI and leveraging their 5G Standalone (SA) and 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network for tailored, intelligent solutions across industries, the GSMA said, adding that while mobile technologies will benefit all sectors of the Chinese economy, some industries will see this more than others, such as manufacturing, due to their ability to incorporate the latest wave of digital technologies including 5G, IoT and AI.
The GSMA report also highlighted that the number of mobile internet users in China is projected to grow from 1.17 billion last year to 1.22 billion by 2030, increasing penetration from 80% to 84%.
Meanwhile, mobile data traffic in China is expected to quadruple by the end of 2030, reaching almost 70GB per mobile connection per month. China surpassed 1 billion 5G connections in 2024, which marks the rapid adoption of the technology in the country since its launch five years ago. 5G adoption in China will reach 61% by the end of 2025, rising to 88% by the end of the decade, according to the GSMA report.
