China’s telecoms carriers push to complete ‘political task’ of 5G network roll-out amid coronavirus crisis

China is pushing ahead with the nationwide roll-out of 5G mobile services amid the coronavirus crisis, as the country’s three telecommunications carriers vow to complete their infrastructure deployments without delay.

While that commitment may have fallen short of the “accelerated 5G implementation” the central government wanted from China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, analysts indicated that it signalled the industry’s confidence about the virus outbreak being contained in the near term.

“The epidemic is expected to be under control by the end of April, so the carriers will have enough time to reach their goals,” said Cui Kai, a senior research manager at IDC China.

The optimism expressed by the three carriers also reinforces China’s efforts to promote consumption and investment, as the country deals with an economic slowdown aggravated by the novel coronavirus outbreak and the protracted trade war with the US. China treats 5G service expansion as a national strategic priority.