Analysis of Change in Chinese Telecoms 5G Deployment Plans Following China's Early 5G Commercialization

On June 6, 2019, China  MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) granted 5G licenses to China's  three major telecom operators including China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, as well as China Broadcasting Network, allowing them to provide commercial 5G services.

This move marks the commercialization of 5G six months ahead of schedule. The Chinese government's decision to grant 5G licenses ahead of schedule is to keep up with the US, Korea, Switzerland, and the UK which have launched commercial 5G services. By doing so, the Chinese government hopes to boost domestic demand to help Huawei overcome the US ban which has affected its business dramatically. This report provides an overview of 5G service licenses granted to three major Chinese telecom operators as well as China Broadcasting Network, looks at their 5G network coverage, and examines how their 5G network structure has shifted from SA (Standalone) 5G NR to NSA (Non-standalone) 5G architecture.

Table of Contents

1.Background
2. From Pre-commercialization to Commercialization, China Accelerates 5G Rollout

2.1 Issuance of 5G Licenses Prompts Telecoms to Increase and Speed up 5G Investment
2.2 Telecoms Take a Sharp Turn from SA to NSA
2.2.1 To Offer Huawei a Way Out of US Ban by Boosting Domestic Demand
2.2.2 Issuance of 5G Licenses to Drive China towards NSA Architecture

3. MIC Perspective

Appendix
Glossary of Terms
List of Companies

Table of Contents

1.Background
2. From Pre-commercialization to Commercialization, China Accelerates 5G Rollout

2.1 Issuance of 5G Licenses Prompts Telecoms to Increase and Speed up 5G Investment
2.2 Telecoms Take a Sharp Turn from SA to NSA
2.2.1 To Offer Huawei a Way Out of US Ban by Boosting Domestic Demand
2.2.2 Issuance of 5G Licenses to Drive China towards NSA Architecture

3. MIC Perspective

Appendix
Glossary of Terms
List of Companies

List of Tables

Table 1 China Mobile’s Procurement of NSA 5G Equipment
Table 2 First-round Allocation of 5G Frequency Bands in China
Table 3 5G Network Coverage and Trial Cities of China’s Top 3 Telecoms
Table 4 Comparison between NSA 5G NR and SA 5G NR

List of Figures

Figure 1 Roadmap of China’s 5G Trial Plan"