According to Shentong Metro Group, which operates Shanghai metro, 80% of the lines have been upgraded to 5G-A
In brief – why this matters
–Shanghai has become China’s first megacity with full 5G metro coverage across all 21 lines, enhancing real-time operations, predictive maintenance and smart urban transit.
–Over 80% of Shanghai Metro is now upgraded to 5G-Advanced, supporting applications like 98% accurate robotic inspections and remote emergency response management.
–With more than 83,000 5G base stations and 3.1 million IoT connections, Shanghai is leading China’s 5G expansion.
Shanghai has become the first city in China to achieve full 5G coverage across its entire metro network, according to Chinese press reports.
The rollout spans the city’s all 21 metro lines — including the Maglev and airport rail link —covering 896 kilometers and 517 stations in total.
According to Shentong Metro Group, which operates the system, 80% of the lines have been upgraded to 5G-Advanced (5G-A). The network now delivers average downlink speeds above 600 Mbps in both stations and tunnels, with peak speeds exceeding 1 Gbps, according to the reports.
The operator of the metro system noted that the integration of 5G enables real-time monitoring of train operations and key components, shifting from reactive maintenance to predictive models. For example, pantograph-catenary systems are now continuously monitored via high-speed image and video analysis, allowing early fault detection and intervention to prevent service disruptions.
Some maintenance depots have deployed 5G-powered inspection robots, which remotely analyze high-definition images and videos of critical undercarriage components. These robots have replaced over 80% of manual inspections, achieving an accuracy rate of around 98%
Shanghai continues to lead China in the number of outdoor base stations for 5G mobile network technology, the city’s vice mayor revealed in December 2024.
At that time, Shanghai had built more than 83,000 5G base stations and over 10,000 3CC 5G-Advanced base stations.
Some 63% of Shanghai’s network traffic was carried via 5G last year, according to the industry ministry, with just over 38 5G base stations per 10,000 residents and 3.1 million 5G Internet of Things (IoT) terminal connections.
Meanwhile, China’s capital Beijing is also deploying 5G at a fast pace. 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.
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.
These 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.
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.
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.
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.
