Shanghai to have full 5G coverage by 2021

In 2019, 10,000 5G base stations will cover the whole of downtown Shanghai. The city will spend 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) to build 30,000 5G base stations by 2021 offering full 5G coverage, the government website said on Friday.

Commercial 5G services were approved last month. Networks and phones are being tested in all major cities and provincial regions. Small-scale commercial use of 5G is expected to start this year and large-scale commercial use next year.

Generally speaking, 5G offers lower latency and higher speed than current 4G networks, often 20 to 50 times faster. Shanghai will have 100 5G-related innovation firms and the 5G industry output will hit 100 billion yuan by 2021, according to the city plan.

Shanghai leads in 5G with its unique market position in the industrial chain, covering everything from the mobile end to chip design, Wu Qing, vice mayor of Shanghai, said recently. The 5G applications will be used in manufacturing, transportation, entertainment, education and urban management. 

Spaces for 5G stations in public facilities including streetlamps, highway and bridges, will mean limited disruption to residents during upgrades.

It is estimated by the Global System for Mobile Communications Alliance that 28 percent of China's mobile connections will operate on 5G networks by 2025, about a third of all 5G connections globally.