Explainer | What will 5G in China mean for you?

5G is expected to power new technologies such as smart city infrastructure and the industrial internet

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A man stands next to a sign of 5G at the Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit in Kunming, Yunnan province, China May 23, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Li Taoin Shenzhen

Published: 6:21pm, 6 Jun 2019Updated: 10:41am, 7 Jun 2019

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Thursday granted commercial 5G licences to the country’s three telecommunications network operators and the nation’s cable network giant, marking the official commencement of the 5G era in the world’s second-largest and most-populated economy.

Hong Kong-listed carriers China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, as well as China Broadcasting Network, were each awarded a licence to run commercial 5G services, MIIT announced on Thursday.

Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp, China’s two-largest telecom equipment vendors, which have invested billions of yuan into 5G research and development (R&D) over the years with the aim of playing a major role in network roll-outs, both welcomed the issuance of the licences. Here are some of the key facts explained:

1. What will the coming 5G era in China mean for smartphone users?

5G is the next generation of ultra-fast wireless technology, offering faster data rates, reduced latency, energy savings, cost reductions, higher system capacity and massive device connectivity. It is expected to power new technologies such as smarty city infrastructure and the industrial internet.

Smartphone users will be able to send high-resolution 4K video within a few seconds, and both video games and apps based on augmented and virtual reality technologies will be seamless. 5G networks will also be able to support the vast array of connected devices globally, from fitness-tracking watches to internet-linked televisions.