China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced that the number of base stations providing fifth-generation (5G) high-speed mobile networks in the country has now exceeded 3.19 million. The ratio of 5G stations to every 10,000 Chinese residents is 22.6, Interesting Engineering reported on October 23.

5G mobile networks offer download speeds that are twice as fast as 4G connections and improve information capacity while reducing latency. However, like any other network, the user experience on the platform depends on the number of users connected to the network and the sharing of available spectrum. China is undertaking a $50 billion project to rapidly expand its 5G infrastructure. In early July 2023, China built 600,000 base stations in just three months. To date, the total number of base stations has surpassed 3 million. In comparison, official figures show that the US built 100,000 base stations from 2019 to 2021.

According to MIIT spokesman Zhao Zhiguo, China has conducted 109 remote education pilot programs using 5G networks. In the medical field, patient consultations and treatments are now taking place online with more intelligent devices. Entertainment events are also being broadcast using 5G connections. MIIT is also testing the use of 5G devices to provide more three-dimensional experiences when watching sports.

China’s project is not only aimed at providing diverse content to users but also at taking manufacturing to the next level. The country is looking to integrate 5G technology into mining, power supply and many other industrial sectors to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Authorities plan to harness the power of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) along with the Internet of Things (IoT) to move into high-tech manufacturing. 5G technology now powers 70% of China’s fast-growing economic sectors such as new energy vehicles (NEV), photovoltaics and aerospace.

An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering )