China’s telecommunications sector demonstrated remarkable growth throughout 2025, exceeding all infrastructure development targets established in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Official data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reveals the country achieved unprecedented milestones in next-generation network deployment and technological innovation.
By December 2025, China had established 4.838 million operational 5G base stations nationwide, translating to an impressive density of 34.4 stations per 10,000 people. This infrastructure deployment surpassed national planning objectives by 8.4 units per capita, representing one of the most rapid large-scale 5G implementations globally.
The telecommunications industry reported sustained financial growth with total business volume increasing 9.1% year-on-year. Revenue reached 1.75 trillion yuan (approximately $250.8 billion), marking a 0.7% increase despite global economic headwinds. Emerging technologies including cloud computing, big data, IoT applications, and data center services contributed significantly, accounting for 25.7% of total sector revenue.
China’s technological leadership became particularly evident in patent development, with Chinese entities claiming 42% of all global 5G standard-essential patent declarations. Concurrently, researchers achieved substantial breakthroughs in next-generation connectivity, successfully verifying core 6G system architecture and related technologies.
Infrastructure accomplishments extended to comprehensive network coverage with gigabit optical network access available in every Chinese county. The nation achieved complete 5G coverage across all townships and over 95% of administrative villages. Advanced 5G-A (5G-Advanced) services expanded to more than 330 cities, while the national optical fiber network reached 74.99 million kilometers in total length.
User adoption metrics showed robust growth with mobile subscriptions reaching 1.827 billion, including 1.204 billion 5G subscribers. Mobile IoT terminals experienced particularly strong expansion, growing 8.7% to 2.888 billion users, with substantial increases in vehicular internet and public service applications.
The integration of digital technologies with traditional industries reached new heights, with 5G and gigabit networks now implemented across 91 major economic categories. The industrial internet ecosystem achieved comprehensive coverage of all 41 industrial classifications, demonstrating deep digital transformation throughout China’s economic landscape.