China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) today (6 June) issued commercial 5G licences to China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Broadcasting Network.

The next-generation mobile technology is forecast to generate CNY10.6 trillion ($1.53 trillion) in economic value and more than 3 million jobs between 2020 and 2025, data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology showed.

China’s operators are expected to spend $150 billion on 5G rollouts, local media reported previously.

An MIIT representative said the country will continue to welcome overseas companies to participate in its 5G market, a comment directed at the US which is pushing many countries to restrict access to Chinese network equipment.

Xinhua News Agency reported earlier in the week that MIIT was on the brink of granting 5G licences to allow operators to begin deploying services.

China’s three mobile players began large-scale network trials after the government allocated 5G spectrum in the mid-band frequency range in December 2018.

The operators, which previously said they will deploy commercial 5G services in 2020, have been waiting for months for clearance.