my country leads the world in 5G construction, and innovation in application scenarios accelerates

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently revealed that my country has built the world's largest 5G mobile network. As of the end of March, my country has built a total of 819,000 5G base stations, accounting for more than 70% of the world's total 5G base stations. The 5G network in independent networking mode has covered all prefecture-level cities, and the number of 5G terminal connections has reached 285 million.

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Behind these figures is that China's 5G development is not only leading the world, but also running at a much faster pace. More importantly, the scale and number of connections of China's 5G network can lay a solid foundation for the promotion of 5G scene applications. At the same time, under the background of the development goal of "enriching application scenarios", 5G application innovation will also be further accelerated.

5G infrastructure is being deployed from "wide" to "deep"

The development of communication technology in my country has gone from lagging behind in 1G, following in 2G, breaking through in 3G, synchronizing in 4G to leading in 5G today. This is not only a technological advancement, but also a reflection of China's transformation from a network power to a network powerhouse.

At present, the construction of wide-coverage, large-capacity network infrastructure in my country is still underway. This year's 5G network construction must be not only "wide" but also more "precise": not only should 5G networks be popularized in cities, but 5G networks should also cover vast rural areas; at the same time, the network must also shift from "universal coverage" to "speeding up and improving quality."

At the 2021 National Industrial and Information Technology Work Conference, Xiao Yaqing, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said that in 2021, 5G network construction and application will be promoted in an orderly manner, 5G coverage in major cities will be accelerated, and joint construction and sharing will be promoted. More than 600,000 new 5G base stations will be built. On the basis of achieving deep coverage in cities at the prefecture level and above, it will be accelerated to extend to counties and towns with conditions, and local governments will be guided to increase support for 5G network construction to achieve 5G network coverage in a wider range and at more levels.

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As 5G construction advances from "broad" to "deep", "increasing the construction of 5G networks and gigabit optical networks and enriching application scenarios" has also been included in the 2021 development goals and key tasks of the Government Work Report.

Driven by market demand and policy, 5G is coming with great momentum, and 2021 may be the year with the fastest development of 5G.

In addition, in terms of terminals, the vast majority of new smartphones launched in 2021 support 5G networks, which will officially usher in a 5G replacement boom. The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology predicts that by 2025, there will be more than 3,200 5G terminals.

The gradual improvement of 5G infrastructure provides high-quality network support for application scenario innovation.

5G and emerging technologies are accelerating integration

During the 2020 epidemic, the integration of 5G with new technologies such as AI, cloud computing, and big data has given rise to innovative applications such as remote consultation, remote ultrasound examination, thermal imaging body temperature measurement, and 5G drone patrols. In terms of resumption of work and production, 5G has helped with remote contract signing, smart office, and smart construction sites. In addition, 5G has played a pivotal role in promoting media entertainment, industrial Internet, and Internet of Vehicles.

As the most cutting-edge technology in the current communications field, 5G technology is the foundation and support for industrial transformation and intelligent interconnection. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things, and the Industrial Internet have also injected new impetus into industrial development and economic quality improvement. They have undertaken more tasks that can significantly improve capabilities after 5G commercialization, laying the foundation for the digital transformation of vertical industries.

5G, AI and other emerging technologies that coexist and advance together are also closely integrated and mutually reinforcing communities. On the one hand, 5G networks will become an important carrier for the further widespread application of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and edge computing in the industrial sector; on the other hand, 5G networks themselves are also the epitome of emerging technologies such as slicing and edge computing.

From this perspective, 5G can only realize its value if it is deeply integrated with new-generation information technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data. Although the integration of 5G and emerging technologies is still in its early stages, and integrated applications are the focus and difficulty of 5G development, it is believed that with the joint efforts of the government, enterprises, and the market, these emerging technologies will accelerate integration, promote industry digital spillover, and become an important engine for the new era of digital economy.

Application scenarios are gradually expanding

As the first of the new infrastructure, 5G has a unique mission. Its characteristics of large bandwidth, low latency and wide connection allow people to further explore new usage scenarios of information and communication. With the support of policies, the development of the 5G industry has therefore achieved "China speed".

Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that in 2020 alone, more than 600,000 new 5G base stations were built, achieving full 5G network coverage in all cities at the prefecture level and above; the number of 5G terminal connections exceeded 200 million, and many industries seized the major opportunities brought by 5G commercial use to accelerate the digitalization of the industry; there were more than 1,100 5G+Industrial Internet projects, and 5G+remote consultation was put into use in more than 60 hospitals in 19 provinces. New models and new business forms such as 5G+autonomous driving, 5G+smart grid, and 5G+distance education continued to emerge.

This year, 5G applications will usher in a new round of development boom.

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Taking China Telecom as an example, it has actively implemented the cloud-to-digital transformation strategy and made every effort to promote cloud-network integration. It has now achieved nationwide coverage of 5G customized networks. This year, it will build 100 5G customized network benchmarks and implement 1,000 5G customized network commercial projects to promote the digital transformation and upgrading of the industry.

It is reported that China Telecom's 5G customized network is not only a network based on the 5G SA architecture, but also can achieve "cloud-network integration and on-demand customization", with the three characteristics of "more flexible customized services, more reliable secure access, and more comprehensive performance assurance", which can fully meet the needs of the industry's digital transformation. At present, China Telecom's 5G customized network has been deeply applied to scenarios such as smart public security, smart cities, smart parks, and smart power grids.

After 5G full coverage, the corresponding 5G supporting applications are estimated to be not too far away, and the integration with cutting-edge technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence will become more in-depth. In the future, the application of 5G in thousands of industries will develop rapidly.