"China has built the world largest telecommunication network within 70 years," said Miao Wei, minister of China's Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) at a press conference on Friday. "We have about a fifth of the world's population, but more than half of the 4G base stations in the world."

Internet speed has been a perennial issue for users. Since 2014, the average download speed of both fixed and mobile broadband in China has increased by nearly 7 times. Some 79.4 percent of the users can have 100Mbps network connection, according to numbers published during the press conference.

"More than 45 million-kilometer-long fiber optic cable has been laid, serving about 854 million internet users," he added when asked about changes he has witnessed within past decades.

The development of the telecommunication industry, meanwhile, has brought new opportunities to relevant sectors. 

After losing battleground in the 1G and 2G eras, and playing catch-up in 3G and 4G mobile technologies, China is expected to be a leading innovator of 5G network, especially after a number of European countries adopted China's standard and technology as their first choice in 5G deployment.

According to a report published by IPlytics Platform this May, Chinese companies account for nearly 34 percent of worldwide applications for key patents related to 5G technology, followed by South Korea at 24 percent, and the U.S. and Finland at 14 percent each.   

In the future, 80 percent of the 5G application scenarios will be seen in various industrial sectors, especially the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and telemedicine, Miao said.  

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