China Launches World's Largest 5G Mobile Phone Network Surpassing U.S.

The fifth generation of mobile network aka 5G is eagerly awaited as it will revolutionize the way we communicate with the world. It will pave the way for faster internet speeds for various applications. There are claims that 5G networks will be a whopping 20x faster than 4G.

While the entire world is eager to see the 5G network come to reality, China's state-owned wireless carriers have launched 5G mobile phone services. In a recent milestone to push the country towards becoming a technology powerhouse while it is locked in a trade war with the U.S. China Mobile Ltd., the largest carrier in the country unveiled its 5G network spanning 50 cities.

5G Network Launched!

Well, the 5G network has been launched in cities including Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen. The packages start from as low as 128 yuan (approx. Rs. 1,300) per month. Even rivals China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. and China Telecom Corp. have launched their services at reasonable rates.

Previously, these Chinese operators were in plans to launch the network in 2020, but it was rolled out earlier as the U.S. boycotted the Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co. Eventually, operators in the U.S. introduced 5G to select cities sans Huawei gear. Even South Korean has its version of the 5G network but China has the world's largest 5G network due to the scale of the network and the cost of 5G services.

Faster Performance

As 5G is now commercially available in China, over 10 million subscribers have pre-registered for the service. These subscribers will get access to faster games and videos, improved performance for mobile video conferencing, and more virtual reality applications.

Despite these benefits, China Mobile's 5G packages are priced similar to that of 4G plans and the highest plan can go around 588 yuan (approx. Rs. 6,000) per month. Initially, large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen will get complete coverage.

When To Expect 5G In India

A few smartphone brands such as Samsung and OnePlus have already launched 5G variants of their flagship models in select markets. However, these smartphones have not been launched in India. And, there is no word regarding when we can expect 5G smartphones to be launched in the country as yet.

While speculations claim that there is a possibility for 5G to be rolled out in India in 2020, a recent report by Economic Times suggests that it might not be the case. It states that the unavailability of the 26GHz band might dampen the expectations of people who want to use 5G. And, this has put a question mark if the critical use cases centered around 5G will be rolled out in the country anytime soon.