(Yicai) April 18 -- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will promote the integration of fifth-generation and other technologies, including Big Data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, to accelerate 5G evolution and the research and development of 6G and 10-gigabit optical network, according to a spokesperson.

The MIIT will also facilitate the R&D and application of Big Data and AI, carry out an AI Plus initiative, continue to accelerate the mass application of industrial internet, and roll out large-scale equipment renewal policies, Zhao Zhiguo said today.

The ministry will drive the optimization and upgrading of information infrastructure, promote the collaborative development of computing power infrastructure, and accelerate the establishment of a national integrated computing power system, he added.

China’s revenue from the telecommunication business rose 4.5 percent to CNY443.7 billion (USD61.3 billion) in the first quarter from a year earlier, Zhao noted. 5G smartphone shipments reached 56.4 million units, accounting for 84 percent of total phone shipments, he said, noting that mobile internet traffic grew 14.3 percent.

China had built 3.65 million base stations as of the end of March, with over 60 percent of 5G users and 24.6 million ports capable of providing gigabit network services. It also put the world’s first 400G all-optical interprovincial backbone network link into commercial operation.

Regarding industrial applications, 5G has been integrated into 74 of the 97 major categories of the national economy. It has been promoted on a large scale in key sectors, including industry, mining, electric power, and medical care, with over 10,000 5G-Plus Industrial Internet projects.

The MIIT aims to establish a batch of industrial internet platforms with industry and regional influence by 2025, noted Vice Minister Shan Zhongde. It also wants to achieve digitalization and networking in over 70 percent of industrial enterprises above a designated size and build smart manufacturing demonstration plants to lead the development of the industry, Shan added.

Editor: Martin Kadiev