China to pay hefty sums to accelerate national 5G roll-out

It has tasked 3 state-owned telcos with each providing 5G in at least 40 cities by year end

China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom have projected that they will spend 32 billion yuan on 5G infrastructure this year.
China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom have projected that they will spend 32 billion yuan on 5G infrastructure this year.PHOTO: REUTERS
Lim Yan Liang China Correspondent In Beijing
  • Published
    Jun 19, 2019, 5:00 am SGT
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China has thrown down the gauntlet on national 5G development, committing to spending handsomely in the coming years to stay ahead in the technological race with the United States.

Since granting its three major telecommunication operators full commercial 5G licences this month - far earlier than the 2020 target - Beijing has tasked the three state-owned telcos with each providing 5G signal coverage in at least 40 cities by the end of the year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 19, 2019, with the headline 'China to pay hefty sums to accelerate national 5G roll-out'. Print Edition | Subscribe
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