The authorities of Chinese city Guangzhou announced plans to reach full coverage with 5G technology by 2021 with the deployment of 65,000 5G base stations, according to a report by Chinese newspaper China Daily.
Guangzhou’s Bureau of Industry and Information Technology said it aims to deploy 14,600 5G base stations by the end of this year, with 5,000 sites already in operation, according to the report.
5G-related businesses such as electronic manufacturing and artificial intelligence in Guangzhou are expected to generate more than CNY800 billion ($116 billion) by 2021, the bureau said.
To promote 5G use by industry, the Chinese city plans to develop a 5G industrial innovation alliance and apply the technology in various fields, including smart logistics, smart cities and industrial Internet.
Earlier this week, Shanghai, the China’s second-largest city by population, said it is targeting covering the entire downtown and main suburban areas with 5G technology by the end of 2019 through the deployment of 10,000 5G base stations.
By 2020, Shanghai will have full 5G coverage throughout the city with 20,000 5G base stations. A total of CNY 20 billion ($2.9 billion) will be invested in the area. Plans also include the deployment of 10,000 additional 5G stations by 2021.
The municipal government’s ambitious plan to deliver 5G coverage in Shanghai by 2020 is part of a three-year plan which will see it invest a total of CNY30 billion ($4.4 billion), China Daily reported.
China is currently testing 5G technology across all major cities, provinces and regions. It is forecasted that 28% of China’s mobile connections will be running on 5G networks by 2025, accounting for about one-third of all 5G connections globally, according to a recent report by the GSMA.
Last month, China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, announced plans to deploy 5G commercial cities in over 50 cities across China by the end of this year. The carrier said that it aims to deploy over 50,000 5G base stations across China this year.
The company aims to expand the 5G commercial services to all Chinese cities above the prefecture level by 2020.
Also last month, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) officially issued licenses for the launch of commercial 5G networks in the country.
The 5G permits were granted to state-run carriers China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and state-owned broadcaster China Broadcasting Network.
At the end of last year, the MIIT issued licenses for 5G trials in a number of cities across China. Commercial rollout of 5G in China was initially expected to occur during 2020. However, the decision by the government to accelerate 5G deployment will trigger investment in the Chinese market.
