Official: China to build 600,000 5G base stations in 2021

China will add 600,000 5G base stations in 2021 and expand the 5G network to counties and townships, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday.

The State Council Information Office holds a press conference on Jan. 26, 2021, to brief the media on the development of industry and information technology in 2020. [Photo by Jiao Fei/China SCIO]

All Chinese cities at prefecture level and above now have access to the 5G network, with over 600,000 5G base stations built throughout the country in 2020. More than 200 million terminals are connected to 5G, officials said.

The country plans to push forward the application of 5G technologies in service sectors including healthcare and elderly care, officials said. So far, over 60 hospitals in 19 provinces have used 5G technologies for remote medical consultation in China.

Data shows that the total business volume of China's telecom industry in 2020 grew by 20.6% year on year. The software and IT service industry saw a year-on-year revenue increase of 13.3%.