Jinan Times APP:

What was the state of information and communications infrastructure development in the first quarter? What progress was made? And what are the next steps? Thank you.

Zhang Yunming:

Thank you for your questions. I would like to invite Mr. Xie to answer these questions.

Xie Cun:

Thank you for your questions. This year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Industrial and information technology authorities have carried out the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, made positive progress in developing information and communications infrastructure, and worked to consolidate the foundation for the digital and intelligent transformation across all economic and social sectors. Let me outline the progress through three "further" improvements. First, network capabilities have been further strengthened. As of the end of March, the total number of 5G base stations nationwide had reached 4.958 million, and 10G PON ports with gigabit network service capabilities had reached 32.01 million. In 86 cities across the country, 168 communities, factories and industrial parks had carried out pilot deployments of 10-gigabit optical networks. In addition, 5G-Advanced (5G-A) now covers 330 cities. The mobile Internet of Things is thriving, with 2.948 billion connected devices. Second, network coverage has been further expanded. To date, China has achieved gigabit optical network access in every county and 5G access in every township. All administrative villages now have broadband access and more than 95% have 5G access, and all border management and trade institutions have 4G/5G network access. Deep network coverage has been achieved in 269,000 key locations nationwide, with continuous network coverage extended to 654,000 kilometers of highways and railways and 316 subway lines. These improvements are changes the public can feel. Third, network applications have improved further. To date, 5G and gigabit optical networks have been integrated into 91 of the 97 major categories of the national economy. In health care, 5G applications now cover the full care pathway from pre-hospital emergency care and in-hospital emergency treatment through inpatient care and rehabilitation to discharge, and have been rolled out in more than 500 Grade-A tertiary hospitals. In the education sector, 5G applications cover all scenarios, including teaching, examination, evaluation, school management and administration, and have been deployed in nearly 3,000 primary and secondary schools, vocational colleges and universities.

Going forward, the MIIT will fully implement the 15th Five-Year Plan outline and further develop information and communications infrastructure. The ministry will also consolidate and strengthen the competitive advantages and leading position of the information and communications industry, continuously solidifying the digital foundation for high-quality economic and social development. We will focus on three key areas. First, we will leverage our strengths. We will deepen the coverage of 5G and gigabit optical networks, continue to advance the "Signal Enhancement" initiative, expand broadband in border areas and in forests and grasslands, and continuously improve network coverage and supply capacity. Second, we will drive upgrading. We will accelerate the large-scale commercial rollout of 5G-A, conduct pilot projects of 10-gigabit optical networks in an orderly manner, promote the evolution of "dual-gigabit" to "dual-10-gigabit" networks, and accelerate the development of the mobile Internet of Things toward universal intelligent connectivity. Third, we will strengthen coordination. We will systematically advance research and development of frontier technologies such as 6G and the next-generation internet. We will also promote collaborative innovation between the information and communications industry and vertical sectors. Thank you.