China’s digital infrastructure expands steadily amid robust telecom traffic growth

China’s telecom sector maintains steady operational momentum with continuous expansion of new digital infrastructure and fast-growing mobile data consumption across the first seven months of the year, according to data released by the operational supervision bureau of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The country’s 5G network coverage continues to deepen nationwide. By the end of July, the total number of 5G base stations across China had reached 5.154 million, representing a net increase of 316,000 from the end of last year. 5G base stations now account for 39.4 per cent of all mobile communication base stations nationwide, with the proportion edging up by 0.3 percentage points compared with the end of June. The sustained construction of 5G infrastructure consolidates the foundational support for the large-scale application of digital scenarios and industrial digital transformation.

China’s mobile user scale keeps expanding steadily. By late July, four domestic telecom operators had registered a combined mobile subscriber base of 1.847 billion, a net increase of 20.62 million compared with the end of last year. The number of 5G mobile users hit 1.303 billion after adding 98.75 million new subscribers year-to-date, making up 70.5 per cent of the total mobile user population. The continuous penetration of 5G services lays a solid user foundation for the iterative upgrade of digital consumption and innovative industry applications.

Mobile internet traffic consumption maintains strong growth momentum. Cumulative mobile internet traffic across the first seven months totalled 2.587 trillion GB, marking a year-on-year increase of 17.6 per cent. The national mobile internet user volume stood at 1.638 billion by the end of July, with a net annual increase of 28.58 million users. In July alone, the average mobile data usage per user reached 23.81 GB per month, rising 13.9 per cent year on year, reflecting continuously rising public demand for high-speed digital network services.

Fixed broadband infrastructure capabilities see further optimisation and upgrading. By the end of July, the total number of national internet broadband access ports had climbed to 1.27 billion, a net increase of 21.52 million from the end of last year. Fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-office access ports amounted to 1.23 billion, accounting for 96.7 per cent of all broadband access ports nationwide after a net annual increase of 19.35 million. The widespread coverage of fibre infrastructure guarantees stable and high-quality fixed network access for households and enterprises.

Gigabit network service capacity continues to scale up across the country. The number of 10G PON ports supporting gigabit network services reached 33.04 million by late July, with a net increase of 1.417 million compared with the end of last year. The expanding gigabit infrastructure system enables ultra-high-speed network connectivity, supporting the implementation of ultra-high-definition video, smart home scenarios and industrial internet applications.

China’s digital infrastructure construction will keep advancing in the coming period. The continuous expansion of 5G and gigabit network coverage will further drive the integration of digital technology with consumer scenarios and industrial production, unlocking more development potential for the digital economy.