Five years ago, few could have imagined farmers livestreaming their harvests to millions, surgeons performing complex operations across provinces or tourists exploring faraway sites through VR headsets. Yet, today these scenes are part of everyday life in China — all thanks to the nation's rapid advances in information and communications technology.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's communications industry made a historic leap — from "catching up" to "running alongside" and even "leading" the world. It has built the planet's largest and most advanced digital infrastructure, fostered deep integration between digital technologies and the real economy and expanded the reach of inclusive digital services.

Now, guided by the recommendations in China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), which was adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the industry is poised for another leap toward a space-air-ground integrated network and the fusion of computing power and connectivity. This vision aligns with the plenary's call for accelerating the building of a "digital China" and turning the country into a "network power".

Building powerful digital backbone

If digital transformation is a city, networks are its highways and computing power its factories — one ensures swift data flows, the other processes and refines them into intelligence. China now leads in both. The plenary session called for deepening efforts in innovation and breakthroughs in key core technologies to reinforce China's global leadership position in these areas.

By August 2025, the country had built 4.6 million 5G base stations and 30 million gigabit fiber ports, achieving nationwide coverage from counties to villages. More than 1.15 billion Chinese — nearly two-thirds of mobile users — now enjoy 5G connectivity. Meanwhile, computing power has grown exponentially: the country operates 10.85 million standard server racks. The "East Data, West Computing" project has created a coordinated network of data hubs across the nation, ensuring resources are used efficiently and sustainably.

In plain terms, China has built a digital "super factory" that powers everything from smooth video streaming and cloud gaming to automated logistics and self-driving vehicles.

Digital transformation across industries

The 14th Five-Year Plan has witnessed the transformation of 5G from an experimental technology into a powerful driver of industrial productivity. China's 5G networks now serve 86 of the country's 97 major economic sectors supporting more than 138,000 real-world applications.

In manufacturing, more than 20,000 "5G + industrial internet" projects are underway. At Qingdao Port, for instance, 5G-powered cranes can be remotely controlled with centimeter-level precision, greatly boosting efficiency as well as safety. In healthcare, hospitals such as the Shanghai Ruijin have used 5G-enabled surgical robots to perform complex procedures in hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal surgery simultaneously on patients in locations as far away as Sanming in Fujian and Diqing in Yunnan. Such innovations are bringing high-quality medical care within reach of more citizens.

A similar revolution has taken place in education. With 5G and virtual reality classrooms, students in Sichuan's remote Liangshan region can attend live lessons delivered from Chengdu, realizing the goal of "same screen, same class". These examples show that technological progress is not an abstract achievement. It reshapes the daily life of ordinary people, enhancing efficiency and promoting inclusion.

Bringing connectivity to every corner

Equally striking has been China's drive for digital inclusion. Over the past five years, more than 130,000 villages have been connected to fiber networks, supported by 100,000 rural 4G and 5G base stations. Broadband prices have dropped by two-thirds while 5G data prices are down nearly by half. New digital services — from Beidou satellite messaging to AI-powered anti-fraud call alerts — are enhancing safety and convenience in daily life. During the 2024 floods in Sichuan, Beidou terminals enabled rapid emergency communication and coordination. It proved that reliable connectivity can save lives.

Perhaps the most remarkable development is the rise of China's low-altitude economy, powered by 5G connectivity. Once just a concept on paper, it is now taking flight. In Suzhou, a 5G-enabled drone network transports thousands of medical samples daily, cutting the delivery time by half. In Jiangxi, drones equipped with infrared sensors patrol forests to detect and prevent wildfires. Once the stuff of science fiction, these technologies are now part of the country's infrastructure.

As China charts its course for the 15th Five-Year Plan, the vision ahead is becoming clearer. The goal is a universal intelligent communications network that connects everything, everywhere. This aligns with the plenary's emphasis on technological self-reliance, secure development and high-quality growth.

The next phase will see the integration of air, space, and ground communications networks, while reinforcing domestic innovation and safeguarding national security. With the GW satellite constellation set to deploy tens of thousands of low-orbit satellites, China will achieve seamless connectivity across land, sea and air — empowering maritime transport, emergency response and polar research. On the ground, 5G-A will expand rapidly, while 6G is expected to go commercial by 2030, enabling ultra-dense internet of things, holographic communication and immersive education. Gigabit optical networks will soon make 8K streaming and virtual collaboration as effortless as browsing the web.

The embedding of AI in communications technologies will be equally transformative. AI-powered devices — from smartphones to robots — could soon anticipate users' needs, optimize energy consumption and support smarter living. Imagine a phone that maps your optimal commute each morning or a home robot that tidies your space after interpreting your casual request. This is not speculation about a distant future — it is the reality that China's communications industry is actively building.

China's achievements in the past five years have not been accidental. They reflect a consistent vision: that technology should serve development, bridge divides, and improve people's lives. With the conclusion of the fourth plenary session, the coming period will give the communications industry an explicit mandate to drive high-quality, secure and self-reliant technological development. China's communications sector will continue to be the cornerstone of the digital economy — intelligent in capability, inclusive in reach and globally connected in its outlook.

The author is director of the Strategic Development Research Institute of the China Telecom Research Institute. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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