China is set to welcome the "golden decade" next year with the planned launch of the 5G network.
More than 800 million mobile owners use 4G services which is 60 percent of the total mobile phone user base in China. With the coming of 5G, most consumers will adopt high-speed mobile Internet services, industry officials told the First International Communication Forum in Shanghai.
The 5G network, which promises to deliver 20 to 50 times more Internet speed compared to 4G, will connect more devices and boost innovation and economic development. China has unique and leading position on 5G research and development, according to China Unicom.
"High-speed mobile Internet and various applications will create a golden decade for next generation telecommunications service, making it the biggest opportunity after personal computer and smartphone," said Lu Tingjie, professor of the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
Shanghai-based Dahan Tricom, which offers telecommunications services and platforms for carriers, posted a revenue of 1.07 billion yuan (US$155 million) in 2016, 12 times more than in 2014.
Gao Bibu, chairman of Dahan Tricom which is listed in the Over-the-Counter market, expects cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) to bring more opportunities to the industry.
China's IoT market is set to grow an average 13.3 percent a year to US$361 billion by 2020.
