In three years time, China aims to fully realize the large-scale application of 5G technologies, according to an action plan formulated by multiple government departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), released on November 26.

The plan proposes that by the end of 2027, there will be 38 5G base stations per 10,000 people, the penetration rate of 5G individual users will exceed 85 percent, the proportion of 5G network traffic will exceed 75 percent, and the number of 5G IoT terminals will exceed 100 million.

The 5G network has become an important link in the development of new quality productive forces, said the plan. As the key information infrastructure for the interconnectedness of everything and data circulation in the digital economy, 5G technology promotes the integration and innovation of various digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data.

The plan defines three major tasks, which are to upgrade the application, industry, network and ecology. Meanwhile, China will continue to enhance industrial chains to support large-scale applications of 5G, to improve the network services in various scenarios, and to coordinate the business ecology.

Going forward, the MIIT will work with relevant departments to systematically promote large-scale applications of 5G, accelerate the growth of scale and quality in terms of 5G applications, and support the nation's new industrialization and modernization of the information and communication industry.