China starts 5G research, test

Staff members work at the 5G Innovation Lab in the China Academy of Telecommunication Research in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 7, 2016. China on Thursday launched experiments for 5G technology research and development. The country made the IMT2020 (5G) Promotion Group play its role as a platform, in a bid to stimulate the equipment and chip industry in the 5G technology experiments. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) began to research and test 5G technology Thursday with the aim of commercializing it by 2020.

"The purpose of the research and test is to support the formulation of global 5G standards and boost the development of the telecom industry," said Cao Shumin, head of a 5G R&D team under the MIIT.

Research and test work will be completed by 2018 and domestic telecom service providers will try to commercialize the 5G technology in the following two years.

"China has made progress in the research of some key areas regarding 5G technology," said MIIT chief engineer Zhang Feng.

China has more than 905 million mobile Internet users and about 380 million are 4G users.