Growth in 5G use accelerates industrial innovation

BEIJING, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- In the Eshan She Ethnic township in Tonglu County, in east China's Zhejiang Province, schools of fish are farmed in green rice paddies. With the help of 5G technology, local farmers are kept well informed of the growth of both rice and fish.

Farmers use 5G sensors and high-definition cameras for real-time monitoring, with data analysis helping inform them when to feed and medicate, according to Wang Yifan from the Hangzhou branch of China Mobile, which has taken part in the smart agricultural program.

Wang shared this agricultural application of 5G at the 2021 World 5G Convention this week. The event, which opened in Beijing on Tuesday, saw over 1,500 industry experts and entrepreneurs from 20 countries and regions participating online and offline.

There are over 10,000 cases of innovative 5G use in China, covering the fields of industry, health care, education and transportation, Han Xia, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told a convention forum on Tuesday.

Essential to China's 5G application boom is the development of the world's best 5G infrastructure. China's 5G base stations in operation make up over 70 percent of the global total, while the country has over 80 percent of the world's 5G terminal connections, Han said.

As the technology matures and its real-life application becomes more popular, 5G is changing all walks of life in China, assisting the development of both the economy and the society.

In addition to the internet and communication industries, traditional industries such as mining and construction have also embraced 5G technology and gained benefits.

The ready-to-open Universal Beijing Resort has built many artificial hills, with the design, construction and maintenance all using 5G technology, said Yang Binhe with contractor China Construction Second Engineering Bureau.

The integration of 5G, AI and cloud will provide strong impetus to innovation and economic growth, empower brand-new business models, services and sources of revenue, while accelerating the digital transformation of a wide range of industries, said Alex Rogers, President of Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL) and Global Affairs, Qualcomm Incorporated, during a video speech at the conference on Tuesday.

According to Rogers, Qualcomm expects the global shipments of 5G smartphones to reach nearly 500 million units in 2021 and over 750 million units in 2022.

Rogers said 5G will have a major impact on the global economy. According to global business information provider IHS Markit, 5G is projected to create over 13 trillion U.S. dollars of global economic output, along with more than 20 million jobs, in 2035.

Han Xia called for more efforts to promote the integrated development of cross-sector 5G application technologies, build mutually beneficial and cooperative industrial ecosystems and strive for the scale development of the industries.

"We will strengthen communication and cooperation with other countries around the world on 5G technology, standards, industries and policies, and jointly create an international cooperation environment that draws on each other's strengths," said Han.