On November 4, at the 2019 China International Information and Communication Exhibition, Chen Zhaoxiong, Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology, announced that China's 5G commercialization process has accelerated in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and other urban areas. It is expected that by the end of the year, there will be more than 130,000 5G base stations activated nationwide.

"It is necessary to accelerate the deployment of 5G networks, expand co-construction and sharing, and build a nationwide 5G network that features advanced technology, high quality, and efficient operation as soon as possible," said Mr. Chen.

Telecommunication operators are accelerating the construction of 5G networks. China Mobile will deploy its 5G network and provide services in more than 50 cities this year. Next year, it will provide 5G commercial services in all prefecture-level cities. China Unicom and China Telecom are working together to the world's first 5G co-construction and sharing network. Currently, the two companies have activated 5G co-construction and sharing base stations in 24 provinces and cities.

The upstream and downstream portions of the industrial chain are promoting 5G construction. At present, China Tower has undertaken construction of more than 100,000 5G base stations. 97% of the completed 5G base stations are completed through the sharing and reconstruction of existing infrastructure, which has significantly reduced construction costs.

ZTE Vice President Liu Jinlong said that ZTE is accelerating its 5G commercial deployment. As of the end of September 2019, ZTE has fully participated in scaled deployment of China's 5G network, winning 35 5G commercial contracts worldwide, and launching in-depth 5G partnerships with more than 60 operators across the world.

Chen Zhaoxiong stressed that it will be necessary to accelerate the application and innovation of 5G technology in vertical industries such as manufacturing, transportation, energy, and agriculture. We should explore and develop new models, products, and business forms, a converged application ecology, and promote the high-quality development of the digital economy.