China to Get Nationwide 4G Coverage by 2018

By Bridget O'Donnell

China plans to cover all rural and urban areas with 4G networks by 2018, according to an announcement by the Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released on Monday.

The MIIT's three-year action plan, known as "Internet Plus," also calls for the installation of fiber optics in more than 80% of China's villages. More importantly, it aims to increase investment in the research and development of 5G networks, which Chinese telecoms plan to commercialize in the mainland next year. It's all part of China's grander scheme to become the global leader in 5G networks by 2020, reports the South China Morning Post.

According to Xinhua, the overall goal of the "Internet Plus" action plan is to improve China's Internet infrastructure:

The action plan will integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing to encourage the healthy development of e-commerce, industrial networks, and Internet banking, and to help Internet companies increase their international presence.

Chinese telecoms, which collectively have close to one billion mobile web users, are already jumping onboard. This week China Mobile announced that it plans to have 500 million 4G subscribers and 1.4 million base stations by the end of next year, reports China Daily.

The MIIT announcement comes as Xi Jinping (ironically) calls for web freedom at the second annual World Internet Conference in Wuzhen.

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