An employee of Huawei Technologies Co. explains how a network connection works in its industrial campus in Shenzhen. (Photo : Getty Images)
Several Chinese telecom and wireless carriers are investing into infrastructure and technology to bring to consumers the benefits of 5G connection services in the next four years.
The Global Times reported that the 5G technology will not only bring faster Internet connection but it will also enable the use of more diversified applications.
According to analysts, 5G can also provide users with more functionality than what they currently get with 4G, and enable them to control their WiFi-enabled TVs, air conditioners and other appliances more efficiently using their smartphones.
In addition, 5G connection will also allow driverless cars to communicate and people can make use of the Internet of Things technology.
The report said that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has set the timetable for the development of 5G, as it is working for a unified network standard and frequencies for the new mobile technology in the following four years.
By 2020, 5G will be ready for worldwide use, but it now depends on telecom carriers and tech firms to determine when consumers can use it in their mobile phones, the report said.
In China, its largest wireless carrier, China Mobile is working to provide 5G services in 2020.
The company said in its Weibo post on Nov. 2, that it has established 5G innovation center in Qingdao, in Shandong Province, with 42 partners from related industries such as the Internet of Things, driverless cars and virtual reality.
Meanwhile, China Unicom showed its capabilities in driverless cars and smart logistics using 5G during a conference held in Qingdao earlier this month.
The company told Global Times on Tuesday, Nov. 8, that it has built an R&D center for 5G, in preparation for its applications in 2020.
Aside from telecom carriers, Chinese hardware manufacturers like Huawei Technologies and ZTE are also trying their efforts to develop.
Huawei rotating CEO Hu Houkun, told CNBC last month that the company plans to invest about $600 million for 5G development and half of the company's employees are set to undergo research and development training in 5G technology.
About 100 billion connections globally will be established by 2025, with 55 percent of them coming from smart cities and industries, the company said in research note.
Across the world, other telecom companies are also working hard to deliver 5G to consumer. Ericsson AB, a Swedish wireless network supplier, said they would start to deliver 5G mobile phone network components in 2017. The company is leading the 5G standardization projects in Europe.
Qualcomm, the world's major provider of mobile chips, announced its plans in mid-October to deliver the first chip for 5G networks by 2018.
Still, faster entry does not automatically translate into global application, which can only happen when a unified standard is issued by ITU.
"Foreign firms all want to get an early start, because they aim to continue maintaining their stronghold in the next generation of cellular networks," Xiang Ligang, chief executive of telecom industry portal cctime.com, told the Global Times.
"China now has the ability to play a leading role in developing new standards for the next generation of mobile networks, as we have achieved many technological breakthroughs for 5G. Meanwhile, the large population of Web users in China and their strong needs for connecting things around them will facilitate the application of 5G there," Xiang added.
5G networks are expected to generate about $250 billion in annual service revenue by 2025, according to reportsnreports.com, a market research provider.
