BEIJING: The number of 4G users in China touched 770 million by the end of 2016, double the number from the previous year, according to official data.
More than 58 per cent of China's mobile phone users had subscribed to 4G by the end of 2016, Zhang Feng, spokesperson and chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), said yesterday.
The number of 4G users was 386 million at the end of 2015.
China has the world's largest 4G network and is aiming to add two million 4G base stations, mainly for townships and villages, by 2018.
The country is also researching and testing 5G technology with a goal to commercialise it by 2020.
The research and development work has entered the second phase, according to Zhang, who noted that China will strengthen international cooperation in the process.
"Compared with 4G, 5G is much faster and more reliable and can be used to support virtual reality technology, ultra-high definition video transmission, autopilot and smart manufacturing," Zhang was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.