China Mobile’s general manager He Biao said the telco will use its 5G-Advanced infrastructure to test 6G technologies
In sum – what to know:
China’s 5G-A reaches 300 cities – China has deployed 5G-Advanced networks nationwide, marking a major milestone in the evolution from 5G to 6G.
China Mobile tests sensing capabilities – The carrier is trialing 5G-A base stations in Shenzhen to support low-altitude drone operations and IoT innovation.
Over 10M 5G-A subscribers nationwide – More than 30 regions have launched service packages, with millions of users already on board.
Chinese operators China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom have rolled out 5G-Advanced (5G-A) networks in more than 300 cities, local press reported, citing data from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The reports highlighted that the upgraded network offers 10 times faster peak speeds and significantly greater connection density than standard 5G, enabling applications like real-time sensing and smart infrastructure.
China Mobile’s general manager He Biao said the telco will use its 5G-A infrastructure to test 6G technologies and push integrated research and development.
A key innovation in 5G-A is the integration of sensing and communication. According to China Mobile, the new base stations can act as distributed radar systems, capable of detecting airborne objects. This functionality is being tested in Shenzhen to support applications in the low-altitude economy, including drone delivery services.
China Mobile also estimated that 5G-A could connect up to 100 billion IoT devices, transforming industries from manufacturing to logistics.
The MIIT noted that over 30 provincial-level regions have already introduced 5G-A service plans, with more than 10 million users signed up so far.
During MWC Shanghai 2025, which took place last week in the Chinese city, James Chen, president of Huawei’s carrier business group, noted that telecom operators should accelerate efforts to turn 5G-Advanced (5G-A) networks into new revenue streams by focusing on differentiated user experiences, network slicing for industries and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered optimization. During his presentation in a session about 5G monetization, the Huawei executive stressed that the transition from 5G to 5G-A offers a significant opportunity to unlock new value in both consumer and enterprise markets. However, Chen noted that success will depend on operators’ ability to build differentiated user experiences, target vertical industries and deliver consistent service quality.
The executive also cited specific consumer use cases where 5G-A technology is already proving to be monetizable by operators. In China, for example, telcos have started bundling high-speed uplink experiences for short video creators and live streamers. “These users are willing to pay more for guaranteed performance,” Chen explained.
For use cases in the enterprise segment, the executive highlighted the growing demand for network slicing, which enables customized service levels for different industrial applications. In this particular field, the executive added that Huawei is currently working with operators on campus networks, which is already generating new revenue streams. Also, in sectors such as manufacturing and logistics, 5G-A capabilities — like deterministic latency and high uplink throughput — are supporting smart factory deployments and remote inspections, Chen added.
China Unicom aims to establish continuous 5G-Advanced (5G-A) coverage in key areas across 300 cities by the end of 2025, following initial pilot deployments in major cities in 2024, according to previous press reports.
By July this year, the company plans to achieve seamless 5G-A coverage in urban areas of 39 cities before expanding further.
In November 2024, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei announced the deployment of what they claimed to be the world’s first large-scale integrated 5G-A intelligent network.
At the time of the launch, Huawei said that the network supports a 5G-Advanced smart commercial complex, with high- and low-band integrated networking, at the Workers’ Stadium, in capital Beijing.
