Hunan Province has thoroughly implemented the national guideline to promote 5G application. So far, the number of 5G users in Hunan has exceeded 30 million, reaching 30.26 million. The penetration rate of 5G individual users reached 44.6%. The number of mobile Internet of things (IoT) connections in Hunan had reached more than 49.51 million. The utilization efficiency of 5G networks has shown a significant improvement.

Digital infrastructure construction has been enhanced continuously. As of July, Hunan has built 119,000 5G base stations, ranking eighth nationwide. Every 10,000 people in Hunan may enjoy 18 5G base stations. The 5G network coverage in the key areas such as downtown areas and urban railways reached 96.2% and 97.5% respectively. All towns and townships and 80% of villages have an access to 5G network. There are 51 large data centers around the province and 172,000 data center racks completed or under construction. Hunan has established a leading regional internet hub in China.

5G applications have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in key sectors. Hunan has released 133 typical 5G application scenarios in four consecutive years, covering 16 economic and social fields. A number of 5G application modes and experiences with demonstration significance have been explored. For instance, the 5G smart factory of the Hunan Hunan Iron & Steel Group Xiangtan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. set an example of "5G + Industrial Internet" application in China's steel industry.

The basic industries related to 5G applications have grown sharply. The output of Hunan's core 5G industries (communication service and equipment manufacturing) has exceeded 100 billion CNY. Nearly 30 leading enterprises in 5G product production have achieved an output value of more than 100 million CNY each. A 5G industrial development pattern integrating basic device and materials, equipment and network construction, network planning, and terminal utilization has taken shape.

Since 2021, Hunan has spent 35 million CNY of special fund to support 5G-based industrial integration projects. Among Hunan's 100 iconic projects for accelerating "new digital infrastructure construction", 28 are 5G related, with a total investment of over 14.8 billion CNY.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn