HUAWEI MBBF 2020: China Mobile offered a glimpse into uptake of its 5G services, with an executive revealing the number of subscribers using a compatible smartphone was approaching 10 per cent of its total consumer base.

Zhang Dong, GM of China Mobile’s Department of Market Operation, noted 80 million of the 113.5 million subscribers on a 5G tariff at end-September were using next-generation smartphones, meaning 8.5 per cent of its total customer base were accessing the network.

He highlighted the growing selection of models available, with the lowest-priced smartphones coming in at less than CNY1,000 ($150.91).

And he noted rapid growth in connections, explaining this becomes something of a virtuous circle: “The more connections the greater the network value and the easier it is to promote the integration of 5G into various industries.”

The operator rolled out 385,000 standalone (SA) base stations in 337 cities across China.

Zhang said it also launched about 200 5G industry devices across 15 key industries enabling smart factories, campuses and hospitals.

It has more than 350 million users subscribing to new cloud-based services.