"We have overfulfilled the task," said Xi Guohua, president of China Mobile.

On February 15, 2015, China Mobile announced that it has over 100 million 4G users. In just over a year, China Mobile has established more than 700,000 4G base stations, representing 40 percent of the world total. China now has the largest 4G network in the world - one which covers most cities, counties and some developed villages and is accessible to over one billion people. Chinese 4G users now can roam in 71 countries and regions.

Xi Guohua said: "About three and a half years ago, a research program conducted by the Central Leading Group for Informatization showed that from 2015 to 2016, revenue generated by mobile phones and mobile internet information would contribute more to GDP growth than the automobile industry. Many people found that hard to believe." But now, it has become reality. One year after China Mobile obtained its 4G license, the scale of the network and the number of users have both expanded, and the communication industry and the uses of information have benefited in turn. In 2014, China Mobile invested over 220 billion yuan in network infrastructure construction and related manufacturers also invested over 100 billion yuan; a total of 220 million mobile terminals were sold, of which over 100 million were 4G terminals. If each terminal costs 1,000 yuan, the total expenditure on mobile terminals will reach 220 billion yuan.

For the whole communication industry, 4G also plays a leading role. For more than a year now, 4G has been responsible for a series of innovations and breakthroughs in the industry chain from communication equipment, smart terminals and chips to applications. The development of 4G in China has promoted the position of Chinese equipment manufacturers in the global 4G industrial network and created unprecedented opportunities for domestic manufacturers. The TD-LTE products of Huawei and ZTE have been sold all over the world, and other manufacturers such as Datang, Shanghai Bell and Potevio are also experiencing fast development. Chinese terminal manufacturers like HiSilicon, Leadcore and Spreadtrum have also made breakthroughs, especially in the area of chips.,

Li Yue, general manager of China Mobile said that in 2015, China Mobile will continue to push forward with the construction of its 4G network; over 300,000 base stations will be built and 250 million mobile terminals are expected to be sold, of which 200 million will be 4G terminals. Yang Jie, general manager of China Telecom, also revealed that in 2015, China Telecom is expected to have 100 million new 4G users and sell 100 million terminals. 

The article is edited and translated from《4G中国 飞奔的不只是网速》, source: People's Daily, author:Wang Zheng and Xin Miao.