China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has announced that it is preparing to issue commercial licenses for 5G operators. The ministry revealed that the country has already established an edge in the specific industry, given its efforts to promote domestic innovation and through its achievements in international cooperation.
China is currently leading the pack in the commercialization of 5G wireless technology. Compared to other countries, China has invested quite a lot of money and effort into establishing itself as an industry leader.
The country apparently recognizes the importance of the technology in fueling its industrial and economic growth, which is why it has been accelerating its efforts.
The country's technology ministry mentioned in a statement that it is now close to issuing commercial 5G licenses, given that the foundation for the network has already been established.
The ministry did not specify exactly when it would be issuing the licenses, but analysts believe that it could be within the year. Commercial 5G operations in the country will officially signify China's transition into the new next-generation technology.
As of last month, 30 percent of all the international patents related to 5G connectivity standards belong to Chinese companies. China had also been the one to lead an international group to conduct technical testing for 5G networks. The companies involved in the test included Nokia, Qualcomm, Intel, and Ericsson. Several Chinese telecommunication firms along with the aforementioned foreign companies are part of China's 5G working group, which was established in 2013.
Despite the current geopolitical climate and its trade war with the United States, China's technology ministry still welcomed all foreign enterprises to participate in the completion of the country's 5G infrastructure.
The president of Nokia China, Markus Borchert, issued a statement expressing his enthusiasm over China's 5G rollout. The executive stated his confidence in the country's 5G industry and its ability to propel the country forward into the future.
China had previously planned to commercialize the technology by 2020. The technology, which is 10 times faster than 4G networks, has the capability of significantly boosting different industries such as in manufacturing, computing, and automotive technologies.
China's three biggest telecommunications carriers have announced plans to collectively spend over $200 billion on different 5G infrastructure projects. These projects are expected to be completed before 2025. The timeline also coincides with China's previous claim that it aims to be the world's largest 5G market with a target of 460 million 5G users by 2025.
