China currently accounts for more than 40 percent of global 5G connections, and its 5G connections are expected to exceed 1.7 billion by 2030, according to an industry report released on June 23 while Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai is ready to open. 

The Mobile Economy China 2026 report, compiled by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), said this scale means China is a leader not only in 5G adoption, but also in defining what advanced mobile networks can enable. 

As coverage and capacity deepen, the focus is shifting from connecting more users to supporting higher-performance, more intelligent and more differentiated services, noted the report. This transition is marked by the commercialization of 5G-Advanced across over 330 Chinese mainland cities, which is creating a stronger foundation for mobile AI, immersive consumer services, enterprise digitization and more capable public infrastructure. 

The report also said that mobile technologies and services in China had generated 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars in economic value in 2025, which accounted for approximately 7.2 percent of the country's GDP in the same year, and is projected to reach 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030. 

"Those numbers tell the story of an industry that's moved far beyond connectivity into something much more ubiquitous: a platform for productivity, AI-driven services and sustainable economic growth," said Sihan Bo Chen, head of Greater China at the GSMA. 

MWC Shanghai, slated for June 24 to 26 this year, is Asia's largest and most influential connectivity ecosystem event, with global leaders and innovators set share their visions for the future of connectivity at this showpiece in east China.