China’s three biggest telecommunications operators have just switched their 5 G telecommunications services last November 1. This despite warnings against 5G technology by no less than 180 scientists and 36 doctors around the world and even the European Union on the potential serious health hazards linked with 5G technology.
China Mobile (CHL), China Telecom (CHA) and China Unicom (CHU) are all offering 5G plans that start at 128 yuan ($18) for 30 GB of data per month, giving Chinese internet users access to the ultra fast service.
Initially, 5G services are now available at 50 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In Shanghai alone, 12,000 5G base stations have been switched on to support 5G coverage.
While the US and South Korea had each launched their own 5G services but only in selected areas, China’s commercial network stands arguably as the biggest in the world.
China has the biggest mobile internet users in the world which stands at 850 million and growing. There will be 110 million 5G users by next year–representing 7% of the entire Chinese population.
Since Chinese operators launched their 5G cheaper than others, more people are expected to use it. “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.
The launch could not have been possible, without the intervention of Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker and leading smartphone brand. Huawei provides the back-end support on all three Chinese telecommunications operators. The rest went to rivals such as Ericsson (ERIXF), Nokia (NOK) and ZTE (ZTCOF).
