The world’s largest 5G network has been activated in China.

5G telecom services – the next generation of mobile connectivity, was launched in China by the country’s three state-run telecom operators on Friday.

5G plans that start at 128 yuan ($18) for 30 GB of data per month are being offered by China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. Chinese consumers will now get access to this ultra fast mobile internet service.

According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua50 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen will now have 5G commercial services. It said the almost 12,000 base stations have been started in Shanghai for the transmission of the 5G coverage across the city’s key outdoor areas.

Earlier this year, 5G services in select areas were launched in other countries including the United States and South Korea. According to Bernstein Research, the network of China is the largest which gives China a grater position of power with respect to the global evolution of the 5G technology.

“The scale of its network and the price of its 5G services will have a pivotal impact throughout the supply chain,” Bernstein analyst Chris Lane said in a research note earlier this week.

According to Xinhua, with about 850 million people using their smartphones to surf the internet, the number of people with mobile internet connectivity is the highest in the world in China.

By 2020, there is expected to be about 110 million 5G users in China which would be about 7 per cent of the country’s population, analysts at Jefferies. According to Jefferies, in April, 5G network was launched in South Korea and about 3 per cent of the total internet users of the country had subscribed to it.

A major role in China’s 5G network rollout is being played by the Chinese telecom company Huawei, the largest telecom equipment maker of the world as well as one of the leading smartphone manufacturers of the world.

All three Chinese telecom operators are clients of the Shenzhen-based Huawei. According to state run newspaper China Daily, nearly half of its 5G networking contracts were granted to Huawei by China Mobile the largest mobile internet provider of China. The rest of the contract was awarded to Huawei’s rivals such as Ericsson, Nokia and ZTE.

A prolonged US campaign against its business has put Huawie in under tremendous pressure in recent times. The US has been calling on its allies to ban the participation of Huawei in the construction of 5G networks in their respective countries because Washington fears that the company’s telecom equipment may have backdoors that can be used by Chinese agencies to spy on Western countries. All such charges have been denied repeatedly by Huawei.

The US pressure however has not prevented Huawei from garnering clients for its 5G products. Earlier this month, the company said that contracts for 5G networks equipment have been awarded to it by 60 firms all across the world which is more than rivals Ericsson and Nokia.

(Adapted from CNN.com)

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