Since the issuance of 5G licenses in June 2019, many cities across China have accelerated construction and application of 5G facilities and set goals for 5G rollout. At present, the total number of 5G base stations around the world has exceeded 800,000, of which the number in China has exceeded 546,000. By the end of this year, China is expected to have 800,000 5G base stations.

China has made notable progress on 5G network construction. In the next three years, its 5G network will become more robust, and innovative application of the technology will be expanded, while efforts are still needed on improving 5G infrastructure. 

The 5G technology with higher requirements for bandwidth and wider application is far more complicated than previous mobile communication technologies. While the construction and operation of 5G network involves high costs due to diverse scenarios of application, it can take a long time to make profit. Therefore, the lack of sound business modes will affect the enthusiasm of participants in the industry.

In light of the challenges, more efforts are needed to conduct further research on 5G application in the industrial sector. The integration of 5G technology and industrial Internet can make industrial facilities intelligently connected to monitor machines, report problems and optimize control effectively.

Related departments also need to develop plans on talent training and drive digital transformation through the technology to boost urban development and improve people's life.