The State Council Information Office recently held a press conference on the development of industry and information technology in the first three quarters. Zhao Zhiguo, the spokesperson and chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, introduced the achievements of the "5G Application Sail Action Plan (2021-2023)" and the focus of work in the next stage.
Zhao Zhiguo stated that as a representative of the new generation of information and communication technology, 5G has become an important driving force for high-quality economic and social development. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has conscientiously implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, continuously promoted the deep integration of 5G with various sectors of the economy and society, and achieved positive results in the innovative development of 5G applications in China.
First, the development environment continues to improve. The "Sail" action plan for 5G applications has been implemented in depth, organizing all parties in the industry to accelerate network construction, expand the depth of integration applications, and increase innovation in applications, promoting innovation and development in mobile communications. According to incomplete statistics, more than 900 relevant policy measures have been introduced across the country, forming a strong collaborative force through interdepartmental cooperation, central-local linkage, and industry coordination.
Second, the digital infrastructure continues to solidify. As of the end of September 2023, China has a total of 3.189 million 5G base stations, covering urban areas of all prefecture-level cities and county-level cities. The number of 5G base stations per 10,000 people has reached 22.6. Over 90% of 5G base stations are built and shared, and the 5G network is accelerating towards intensive, efficient, green, and low-carbon development. There are over 20,000 5G industry virtual private networks, providing stable, reliable, and secure network facilities for industries.
Third, the enabling role continues to be highlighted. 5G applications have been integrated into 67 categories of the national economy, with over 94,000 application cases. 5G is widely replicated in vertical industries such as industry, mining, electricity, and ports, helping enterprises improve quality, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. New applications based on 5G networks, such as ultra-high-definition videos and AR/VR, are further integrated into production and daily life, continuously enhancing user experience.
Fourth, the innovation capability continues to improve. Actively promoting the development of international 5G standards, as of the end of September this year, China's proportion of essential patents declared in 5G standards globally reached 42%, providing a Chinese solution to promote global 5G development. The Ministry has issued a notice on promoting the evolution and application innovation of lightweight 5G (RedCap) technology, coordinating the innovative development of lightweight 5G base stations, chips, and terminals. Taking advantage of the broad coverage and strong penetration of the low-frequency band, the 800MHz and 900MHz frequency bands are being reutilized for 5G public mobile communication systems, strengthening spectrum resource assurance.
Zhao Zhiguo stated that in the next step, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on three aspects: construction, application, and research, actively promoting the empowerment of 5G in the real economy and providing strong support for high-quality economic development.
First, expand network construction. Steadily promote the construction of 5G networks and continuously improve the supply capacity and service level of 5G networks.
Second, promote application adoption. Deepen the integration of 5G applications, accelerate the simultaneous development of personal and industrial applications, vigorously promote the innovative development of "5G+ Industrial Internet," and promote the scale development of 5G applications.
Third, enhance technological research. Strengthen support for the 5G industry, systematically promote the research and industrialization of 5G chips, modules, terminals, and key components, and help the industry evolve and upgrade. Targeting the critical period of 6G technology research and development, carry out in-depth research on key 6G technologies, strengthen technological reserves, and lay a solid foundation for the formulation of 6G standards and the development of the industry.