Beijing targets 100% 5G penetration among individual users and over 75% of total traffic carried by 5G networks by 2027
In brief – why this matters
–Beijing plans to deploy dense 5G-Advanced infrastructure, with 70 base stations per 10,000 residents and seamless coverage within its Fifth Ring Road, laying the foundation for a hyper-connected urban environment.
–The city’s plan includes 100% 5G user penetration, 45% industrial adoption and over 35,000 new or upgraded 5G-Advanced base stations, enhancing applications from robotics to autonomous vehicles.
–By integrating 5G into sectors like healthcare, education, and energy, Beijing is positioning itself as a testbed for smart city innovation, including 400 smart hospitals and advanced humanoid robotics.
China’s capital Beijing expects to achieve large-scale 5G application and comprehensive 5G integration across industries by the end of 2027, according to a three-year action plan unveiled by municipal authorities.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua noted that the plan, jointly released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology and the Beijing Communications Administration, sets targets including 100% 5G penetration among individual users, over 75% of total traffic carried by 5G networks and 45% adoption by industrial enterprises by 2027.
The report highlighted that infrastructure upgrades will deploy 70 5G and 5G-Advanced (5G-A) base stations per 10,000 residents, with over 35,000 new or upgraded 5G-A base stations to ensure seamless 5G coverage within the Fifth Ring Road and 5G-A service in key areas, according to the bureau.
Beijing aims to foster an ecosystem and expand new scenarios for 5G-powered smart robots, mobile terminals and cloud-based equipment, while cultivating 5G-integrated innovations including extended reality architectures, glasses-free 3D technology, smart wearables and home solutions.
The large-scale application of 5G is expected to empower Beijing across industrial internet, humanoid robotics, smart power grids and low-altitude systems, healthcare and digital education. It will also enhance autonomous driving capabilities and support the building of 400 “5G smart hospitals,” according to the report.
In its new report, the GSMA recently highlighted that mobile technologies and digital transformation will contribute $2 trillion to China’s economy, or 8.3% of China’s GDP by 2030.
The Mobile Economy China 2025 report forecast that 5G technology and its ecosystem will benefit all sectors of the Chinese economy, with the manufacturing sector expected to drive 40% of that $2 trillion economic impact by 2030.
In 2024, mobile technologies and services generated $1.2 trillion of economic value, around 6.2% of China’s GDP.
Chinese operators are developing solutions for the enterprise segment by integrating AI and leveraging their 5G Standalone (SA) and 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network for tailored, intelligent solutions across industries, the GSMA said, adding that while mobile technologies will benefit all sectors of the Chinese economy, some industries will see this more than others, such as manufacturing, due to their ability to incorporate the latest wave of digital technologies including 5G, IoT and AI.
The GSMA report also highlighted that the number of mobile internet users in China is projected to grow from 1.17 billion last year to 1.22 billion by 2030, increasing penetration from 80% to 84%.
China surpassed 1 billion 5G connections in 2024, which marks the rapid adoption of the technology in the country since its launch five years ago. 5G adoption in China will reach 61% by the end of 2025, rising to 88% by the end of the decade, according to the GSMA report.
Nearly 4.2 million 5G base stations were operational across China as of January 2025, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). This number is set to rise considerably, with Chinese operators forecast to invest $219 billion in mobile capex between 2024 and 2030, according to the report.
