China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has officially issued licenses for the launch of commercial 5G networks in the country.
The 5G permits were granted to state-run carriers China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and state-owned broadcaster China Broadcasting Network.
At the end of last year, the MIIT had previously issued licenses for 5G trials in a number of cities across China.
Commercial rollout of 5G in China was initially expected to occur during 2020. However, the decision by the government to accelerate 5G deployment will trigger investment in the Chinese market, which would benefit Chinese vendors, especially Huawei, whose business could be affected by an export ban recently implemented by the U.S government.
