What are the deployments and arrangements for 5G in 2022? MIIT responds

On January 20, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the development of industry and information technology in 2021. Zhao Zhiguo, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and director of the Information and Communications Administration, attended the press conference and answered questions from reporters.

He pointed out that in 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology conscientiously implemented the decisions of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, gathered forces from all parties in the industry, and solidly promoted the innovative development of 5G, achieving positive results.

First, policy guidance is constantly strengthened. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with nine departments, issued the "5G Application "Sailing" Action Plan (2021-2023)" to coordinate the promotion of 5G integrated applications and cultivate and expand new momentum for economic and social development. In conjunction with the National Health Commission, we will carry out the "5G+ Healthcare Pilot" to enrich the application scenarios of 5G technology in the healthcare industry and cultivate a benchmark for the development of smart healthcare. In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, we will carry out the application pilot work of "5G+Smart Education" to promote the high-quality development of education enabled by 5G technology.

Second, network construction has been steadily advanced. The world's largest and most technologically advanced 5G network has been built. As of the end of last year, the number of 5G base stations in the country exceeded 1.4 million, of which more than 800,000 were jointly built and shared. The 5G network has covered all prefecture-level cities, more than 98% of county towns and 80% of townships. The breadth and depth of network coverage have been continuously improved over the past year. The shipment volume of 5G mobile phones in my country also reached 266 million units throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 63.5%, showing a steady growth trend.

Third, the quantity and quality of application innovation have both increased. The fourth "Blooming Cup" 5G application collection competition was held, and nearly 7,000 participating units and more than 12,000 projects were collected, and the number and quality of participating projects reached a new high. 5G+4K/8K ultra-high-definition video, 5G+AR/VR and other related applications were used in many scenarios such as theatrical performances, event live broadcasts, residential services, shopping, etc. for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party last year, which should be said to have brought a new experience to consumers. 5G applications in the fields of industry, cultural tourism, energy, transportation, etc. are also gradually expanding. Taking "5G+Industrial Internet" as an example, typical application scenarios such as remote equipment control, machine vision quality inspection, and production efficiency control have been deeply applied in key industries such as mining, ports, steel, electricity, petrochemicals, etc., helping enterprises to improve quality, reduce costs, increase efficiency, and develop green and safely, with relatively significant results.

At the same time, Zhao Zhiguo pointed out that 5G still faces challenges in the process of development, such as technological industry breakthroughs, business models to be further mature, and ecological environment to be further optimized. Therefore, it is also urgent to coordinate the forces of all parties to jointly promote the large-scale development of 5G. 2022 is a key year for the large-scale development of 5G applications. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will further implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, continue to improve 5G network coverage, and accelerate the deep integration of 5G with vertical industries. The following aspects of work have been carried out:

First, we will continue to consolidate the foundation of the 5G industry, encourage the industry to tackle key 5G core technologies, support enterprises to actively participate in the formulation of 5G international standards, and encourage enterprises to promptly launch multi-level 5G chips, modules and other related products to meet the differentiated needs of industry applications, promote the development of new consumer terminals such as 5G smartphones, wearable devices, virtual reality/augmented reality, and thus enrich the carriers of 5G technology applications.

The second is to steadily advance the construction of 5G networks, moderately advance the construction of 5G networks, deepen co-construction and sharing, continue to expand the coverage of counties and townships, and enhance the depth of 5G network coverage in crowded areas such as high-speed railways, transportation hubs, shopping centers, and in key industries such as industry and medical care.

Third, we will promote the large-scale development of 5G applications, implement the "5G Application "Sailing" Action Plan", hold the fifth "Blooming Cup" 5G Application Competition, do a good job in the pilot work of "5G+Healthcare" and "5G+Smart Education" applications, and promote 5G technology to enable broadcasting, travel and other scenarios, so as to better assist the Smart Winter Olympics. Create an upgraded version of "5G+Industrial Internet", explore a number of typical application scenarios such as production line level and workshop level, and promote the construction of 5G full-connection projects. Implement the acceleration plan for 5G personal applications, strive to launch a number of new terminals, APPs and other applications, and continuously enhance the people's sense of gain and happiness.