As of late March, a total of 198,000 5G base stations have been built across China, covering over 50 million users, according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

As network construction is accelerated, the terminals enter a period of rapid development, 95 of which have been granted access to the network. 5G cellphones priced under 2,000 yuan ($280) are out on the market, said Wen Ku from the MIIT.

Some domestic mobile phone manufacturers are trying to optimize the application experience by developing their information technology. The ministry said they will support mobile phone companies to strengthen the innovation of research and development.

The ministry issued four commercial licenses for 5G on June 6 last year, which means the country has officially entered a new technological era — racing along the 5G track. By the end of 2019, more than 130,000 5G base stations had been built nationwide.

Building 5G base stations does not abolish 4G base stations, but it upgrades them instead, said Li Yizhong, former minister of the MIIT, at the 2020 Made in China Forum.

China has achieved remarkable progress in 5G patents, standards, evaluation licenses, and network deployments. For example, its 5G patents account for over 30 percent of the world's total, ranking first.

In seven years, the existing 5.5 million 4G base stations will be upgraded to 5G. The combined total of 5G base stations will reach 6 million in China by 2027.