China’s telecommunications sector recorded steady growth in 2025, with the number of 5G base stations rising to 4.838 million by the end of the year, according to data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The ministry said this level translates to 34.4 5G base stations per 10,000 people, exceeding the national planning target by 8.4 units. During the year, the sector’s total business volume increased by 9.1 percent, while telecom business revenue reached 1.75 trillion yuan, reflecting continued expansion of digital infrastructure.
Emerging services including cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things, and data centres accounted for 25.7 percent of total telecom revenue. China also led globally in innovation, with 5G standard-essential patent declarations making up 42 percent of the world total, alongside nationwide gigabit optical network access and near-universal 5G coverage
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