China will build more than 600,000 5G base stations next year, said Xiao Yaqing, minister of industry and information technology, at a working conference on Monday.

Xiao said that in 2021, the ministry will promote the construction and application of 5G networks in an orderly manner, expand 5G coverage in major cities, and encourage co-construction and sharing among the Chinese telecom giants.

The ministry will focus on 10 key industries, form 20 typical industrial application scenarios, carry out industrial 5G network pilot projects and timely release 5G millimeter wave frequency plans for some frequency bands, he said.

Millimeter waves are a key piece of the low-, mid- and high-band spectrum mix that will support 5G over time. They can carry massive amounts of data at very high speeds and with little lag, making them ideal for the massive increase in data demands from 5G users.

So far, 5G has been deployed in sectors including ports, machinery, automobiles, steel, mining and energy, besides being applied in industrial internet, Internet of Vehicles, healthcare, education and other such areas.

The minister added that more efforts will be made to optimize and upgrade the network, increase the number of gigabit network users to more than 200 million, and crack down on infringements of users' rights and interests by apps.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: VCG)