China is set to significantly enhance its mobile communication networks, covering over 80,000 locations, 25,000 kilometers of railways, 350,000 kilometers of expressways, and 150 metro lines by the end of 2024, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The goal is to achieve an average downlink access rate of over 200 Mbps and an uplink access rate of at least 40 Mbps by that time. Plans for 2025 include extending 5G coverage to 120,000 key locations, 30,000 kilometers of railways, 500,000 kilometers of roads, and 200 metro lines, with downlink rates exceeding 220 Mbps and uplink rates of 45 Mbps or higher.
To achieve these targets, 11 central government departments will launch a focused operation to upgrade the nation’s signal coverage, meeting public demand and supporting digital transformation.
The initiative aims to strengthen coverage in key locations, optimize vital services, and improve monitoring and supervision. China already boasts over 6 million 4G base stations covering urban and rural areas, and the 5G network has 3.28 million base stations, with plans for further expansion.
China is also eyeing the commercialization of 6G by 2030, with standardization expected around 2025, according to Wang Zhiqin, leader of China’s 6G promotion team.