A 5G laboratory three kilometers away from a test car was recently able to release the parking brake, step on the gas pedal and put the car into drive in Hubei province in central China.

Last September, China Mobile's Hubei branch and Dongfeng Motor Group signed an agreement to establish a 5G-based laboratory, where the above remote test drive was carried out.

The 5G network, featuring a minimal delay, will bring considerable changes to the daily lives of citizens as well as to the country's development.

Experts estimate that by 2025, there will be 1.4 billion 5G users around the globe, with most of them from China.

5G is a new-generation mobile communication technology, enabling remote driving and smart home options, providing people a digital and smart life with high-definition videos, AR, VR, the Internet of Things and other technologies.

Foxconn Industrial Internet's 5G research institute told People's Daily that in the 5G era, objects will be able to notify people when to water the plants, clean shoes and eat the bread in the fridge, and in the future, the 5G network will be able to interconnect everything without cables.

Distance surgery is rarely possible using the 4G network. It generally takes several seconds to transfer information, thus threatening a successful operation.

As the 5G network spreads, residents from remote places will have better access to medical treatment. For instance, first aid treatment can be carried out in an ambulance under the guidance of experts via the 5G network.

High-quality medical treatment over distance will be realized thanks to 5G net's broadband, low delay and great connection, said Xue Quan, head of School of Electronic and Information Engineering at the South China University of Technology.

The transmission delay via 5G can be calculated in milliseconds, which was previously impossible, Xue said.

However, there are still some challenges for the full application of 5G services, such as information security and terminal development.

Wu Hequan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that it could lead to accidents if the 5G network system is not strong enough to counter the cyber attacks when being applied to civil aviation, high-speed railway, the state grid or other major infrastructures.