China to Build 600,000 5G Base Stations in 2023

What’s new: China plans to build around 600,000 5G base stations in 2023, bringing the country’s total to more than 2.9 million by the end of the year, Jin Zhuanglong, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said Sunday during the annual “Two Sessions” political meetings.

The additions will go toward expanding service coverage in rural areas and industrial parks, Jin said a press briefing. The country currently has more than 575 million 5G mobile phone users, he added.

Background: China’s investment in 5G declined by 2.5% year-on-year in 2022, according to data released by the MIIT in February, with the ministry attributing the downward trend to a high base in 2021.

As of the end of last year, the number of 5G base stations accounted for 21.3% of all mobile base stations in the country, up 7 percentage points from the end of 2021, MIIT data show.

Related: Investors Bet China’s Telecom Majors Have a Lot to Gain From Digitalization Plan

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use.

Contact reporter Ward Zhou (nanyuzhou@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)

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