SCIO briefing on development of industry and information technology in H1 2025

Jimu News:

How did the information and communications industry perform in the first half of the year? What progress was achieved? What are the key priorities for accelerating the industry's development moving forward?

Xie Shaofeng:

Thank you. My colleague Mr. Xie Cun will answer your questions.

Xie Cun:

Thank you for your questions. Since the beginning of this year, the MIIT has adhered to the general working principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability and has steadily promoted the high-quality development of the information and communications industry. In the first half of the year, telecommunications service revenues in China totaled 905.5 billion yuan, up 9.3% year on year, reflecting stable performance across the sector. The main characteristics are as follows.

Network capabilities have been enhanced. By the end of June, China's total number of 5G base stations had reached 4.55 million, with 1.118 billion 5G mobile subscribers, representing a user penetration rate exceeding 79%. The number of ports with gigabit network service capabilities totaled 30.22 million, while gigabit broadband users reached 226 million. The first batch of 10-gigabit optical networks has been installed in 168 communities, factories and industrial parks across the country. As of the end of March, China had 10.43 million standard computing power racks in use, with intelligent computing power reaching 748 EFLOPS, providing an intelligent foundation for massive data computing.

Integrated applications have become more advanced. Since the beginning of this year, emerging services such as 5G New Calling, livestreaming short videos and cloud gaming have flourished, while large language model apps have developed in tandem with AI-powered smart terminals. Digital consumption demand continues to grow, with mobile user internet traffic achieving double-digit growth for six consecutive months. 5G integrated applications have been incorporated into 86 of the 97 major categories of the national economy. More than 18,500 5G+industrial internet projects have been built.

Inclusive services have become more convenient. This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's universal telecommunications service program. Through a decade of implementation, we have connected all Chinese villages to broadband internet and achieved 5G coverage in all rural townships nationwide. Currently, over 90% of administrative villages have 5G access. Focusing on public concerns and expectations, we launched a series of initiatives to provide practical services in the information and communications sector. For example, we completed accessibility and age-friendly improvements to over 3,000 websites and apps for older users. We also organized more than 400,000 digital classes for older adults, helping them enjoy a more comfortable digital life. Online processing now accounts for over 91% of telecom services. Nationwide, 45,000 business outlets provide cross-jurisdictional services, covering all districts and counties to make services more convenient.

Opening up has become more pragmatic. We have steadily and systematically implemented pilot programs to expand market access for value-added telecom services. We have issued guidelines for the first batch of pilot areas, strengthened communication and coordination with foreign-funded enterprises, and so far, 40 foreign-funded enterprises have received relevant approvals. The cumulative number of foreign-invested telecom enterprises in China has exceeded 2,600, up 27% compared to the same period last year. This fully demonstrates the growing attraction of China's telecom market to foreign investment.

Looking forward, our department will continuously promote development, application and research to further drive the high-quality development of the information and communications industry. We will focus on network construction and upgrading, enhance the depth and breadth of 5G and gigabit optical network coverage, and accelerate the pilot deployment of 5G-A and 10-gigabit optical networks. We will deepen a special campaign to upgrade network signals and accelerate the construction of a national integrated computing power network system. Moreover, we will focus on application implementation and promotion. We will thoroughly implement the upgraded action plan for large-scale 5G applications, 5G+ industrial internet projects, and a three-year action plan for the industrial internet identifier resolution system. We will also promote the collaborative integration of the industrial internet and AI. We will drive technological innovation and breakthroughs, enrich the 5G-A product portfolio, deploy high-quality networks, accelerate research and development into 6G technology, and unveil a forward-looking plan to cultivate an industry ecosystem for 6G applications. We will also strengthen research and implementation of opening-up policies, systematically expand foreign access to value-added telecom services, and support increased foreign participation in pilot programs through policy promotion, service optimization, and streamlined management. Thank you.