China aims to build more 5G base stations in 2022 to bring the total number to over two million for the further development of the 5G network, said Minister of the Industry and Information Technology Xiao Yaqing.
The South China Morning Post quoted Xiao Yaqing as saying that China currently has 1.45 million installed 5G base stations that support over 500 million subscribers nationwide.
“Moving forward, we will step up our efforts in base stations. What we have now is not enough,” Xiao said, adding that the government will accelerate support for advanced 5G applications.
China expects local carriers to install nearly 600,000 5G base stations during 2022 to end the year with 2 million installed 5G base stations.
Meanwhile, a report in WSJ said that China is racing ahead in building the infrastructure of 5G networks, but it is inside factories, coal mines, shipyards, and warehouses where the technology is really taking off.
According to the report, the country is widely seen as being out front in the deployment of localised, high-powered 5G networks in sprawling industrial sites, which aim to use the technology to help automate labour-intensive or dangerous industrial processes, and hopefully boost productivity.
China currently houses around 1.43 million 5G base stations and over 500 million 5G users.
China is also making plans for the next generation of mobile communication technology – 6G, Xiao said. He indicated that China will strive to maintain its leadership in 5G, while planning and laying the foundation for research and development on 6G technology.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) also revealed that it is preparing for the development of the more advanced 6G wireless system.