Key Points:
- China’s 5G mobile phone subscriptions reached 1.3 billion by the end of July, representing 70.5% of all mobile accounts nationwide.
- The country expanded its physical network infrastructure to 5.15 million 5G base stations, adding 316,000 newly built towers this year.
- Mobile internet data traffic grew by 17.6% year-on-year to hit 258.7 billion gigabytes during the first seven months.
- National economic blueprints target expanding core digital economy industries to 12.5% of gross domestic product by 2030.
China’s telecommunications network continues to expand at an unprecedented scale, with 5G mobile phone subscriptions reaching 1.3 billion by the end of July. Official telecommunications data reveals that fifth-generation mobile connections now account for 70.5% of all active mobile phone subscriptions across the country. The milestone highlights the rapid pace of digital modernization across the world’s largest telecommunications market, driven by heavy infrastructure investments and widespread consumer adoption of high-speed digital services.
Total mobile phone subscriptions across the nation’s three primary telecom operators and the fourth national broadcasting carrier reached a combined 1.85 billion accounts. The steady migration of hundreds of millions of smartphone users from older networks onto high-speed 5G signals illustrates the effectiveness of national network upgrades. High penetration rates are enabling mobile users to access bandwidth-heavy applications seamlessly, ranging from high-definition video streaming to interactive gaming and mobile commerce.
The rapid growth in mobile connections is supported by extensive physical infrastructure development. The total count of operational 5G base stations climbed to 5.15 million by the end of July, representing a net increase of 316,000 newly installed transmitter sites since the beginning of the year. This vast physical network ensures fast, low-latency wireless coverage across bustling urban centers, national transportation corridors, and industrial manufacturing parks.
As mobile phone owners transition to high-speed data plans, domestic data consumption is climbing to record highs. Mobile internet data traffic grew rapidly during the first seven months of the year, totaling 258.7 billion gigabytes, marking a 17.6% jump compared to the same timeframe in the prior year. The surging data traffic reflects increasing consumer reliance on short-form video streaming, cloud-based productivity software, and generative artificial intelligence tools that demand continuous, high-bandwidth connectivity.
The digital expansion reaches far beyond consumer smartphones into smart machines and automated infrastructure. Mobile Internet of Things terminal connections managed by the major telecom operators reached 2.99 billion by the end of July, adding 105 million newly connected endpoints since the start of the year. The volume of connected smart devices now significantly exceeds total human mobile subscriptions, providing the digital backbone for automated factory machinery, smart city sensors, connected vehicles, and remote agricultural monitors.
Fixed-line broadband connectivity is experiencing a parallel transformation toward gigabit-speed fiber optics. Total fixed broadband accounts reached 702 million by the end of July, with gigabit-speed subscriptions climbing to 260 million. Gigabit connections now represent 37.1% of all fixed broadband lines in the country, expanding by 2.6 percentage points since the beginning of the year as optical fiber replaces older copper and cable broadband lines in residential communities.
The nationwide infrastructure rollout has achieved comprehensive coverage across vast geographic areas. Gigabit optical fiber network access is now available in every county nationwide, while high-speed 5G mobile networks cover all urban towns and more than 95% of rural administrative villages. Connecting remote rural communities to high-speed internet helps bridge historical digital divides, allowing rural entrepreneurs and agricultural cooperatives to participate directly in live-stream e-commerce and digital supply chains.
The rapid expansion of telecommunications infrastructure aligns directly with national strategic planning. Under the Digital China initiative and the 15th Five-Year Plan covering the 2026 to 2030 period, policymakers aim to raise the added value of core digital economy industries to 12.5% of gross domestic product by 2030. Developing pervasive high-speed connectivity is viewed as a prerequisite to scaling artificial intelligence applications, smart industrial manufacturing, and autonomous transportation systems across the national economy.
By establishing the world’s largest and most comprehensive digital infrastructure network, China is setting the global benchmark for fifth-generation connectivity and smart device integration. With 1.3 billion 5G mobile users, over 5.15 million base stations, and nearly 3 billion connected IoT devices, the country possesses a scalable technological foundation to power its digital economy. Moving forward, the deepening integration of 5G networks and artificial intelligence tools will drive industrial productivity and shape the future of global telecommunications.
