5G to cover Beijing's core districts and sub

According to an action plan released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, Beijing will have 5G coverage in its core districts, the sub-center in Tongzhou, and important function zones and sites by 2022. The plan also reveals five upcoming major 5G demonstration projects, covering the sub-center, the new airport, the horticulture expo, the 2022 Winter Olympics, and locations along Chang'an Street.

Innovations in key technologies

In the next three years, Beijing will focus on the implementation of a few key innovative projects, including making a breakthrough in the development of core devices of medium-high frequency, achieving the application of the 5G technology in five major scenes, and fostering an array of new commercial modes in the 5G industry.

Beijing will establish a 5G medium-high frequency RF device industrial innovation center, and build a platform that integrates technology development of core devices, pilot verification processes, product analysis, and testing. In addition, a 5G device design project will be organized and a 5G device R&D and manufacturing base will be built. Based on the city's work in its Economic and Technological Development Zone and the third-generation semiconductor industrial base in Shunyi district, Beijing will introduce and boost the development of several enterprises featured in device designing, key material preparation, characteristic product manufacturing, and packaging. The city aims to have more than 10 percent of the global market share in 5G devices by 2022. Meanwhile, Beijing will also provide funding support for the R&D of 5G software and hardware, as well as for relevant industrial projects.

Demonstration projects in auto driving and remote consultation

Five major projects mentioned above will be carried out soon focusing on the application of five typical scenes, namely driverless vehicles, healthcare, industrial internet, smart city, and ultra-high definition video. The city will implement 5G technology in entry points such as ultra-high definition live video, self-driving cars, cloud robot management, automated logistics, drones, security and protection monitoring, and extend the scope of 5G application in public service, advanced manufacturing, city administration, etc.

In the healthcare field, 5G technology will help doctors examine patients remotely through the collaborative application of technologies such as smart sensors, big data, and other new technologies in medical equipment, diagnosis, and treatment systems, etc. Thanks to 5G technology, remote medical consultation, including conducting procedures such as imaging, ultrasound, ECG, pathology, surgery, nursing and other services can be provided in the near future.

5G technology will also be applied in the field of urban management. In addition, "5G plus" ultra-high definition cameras will be deployed at major event sites and important locations to achieve intelligent awareness and ultra-high definition video surveillance of urban management such as pollution, crime, and traffic.

Accelerating network construction

The action plan also sets three goals for the development of the 5G industry in Beijing. The goal of network construction is to invest more than 30 billion yuan (US$4.42 billion) in 5G network by 2022, and achieve 5G network coverage in the functional core areas of the capital, the sub-center, and important functional areas and sites. The target of technological development is that by 2022, scientific research institutes and enterprises in Beijing will possess more than 5 percent of the basic patents in international standards regarding 5G, and the city can become an important contributor to the 5G technical standard, while making a few breakthroughs in key technologies and manufacturing processes for large-scale production of medium-frequency and high-frequency components above 6 GHz. The target of industrial development is that the 5G industry in Beijing will achieve an annual revenue of about 200 billion yuan, and drive a total scale of more than 1 trillion yuan in relative industries and new business activities.

Also according to the plan, Beijing will speed up network construction and become the first in China to achieve 5G hotspot coverage.