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E-mail China.org.cn, January 3, 2025
21st Century Business Herald:
Since the beginning of this year, the information and communications industry has maintained a steady and rapid growth trend. Could you share more details with us? What are the key plans to further accelerate the industry's development? Thank you.
Zhao Zhiguo:
I'll answer these questions. Thank you for your questions. Since the beginning of this year, China's information and communications industry has maintained steady growth, achieving new results in high-quality development.
First, emerging telecom businesses have maintained rapid growth. As of the end of September, the total telecom business volume increased by 10.7% year on year, with business revenues from internet and related service enterprises above a designated size reaching 1.17 trillion yuan from January to August. New areas such as internet data centers, big data and cloud computing have become important drivers for growth in the industry. Telecom emerging business revenues in the first three quarters reached 325.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%, continuing the rapid growth trend and providing fresh momentum for the industry. The orderly opening-up of value-added telecom services has also advanced. This morning, the MIIT, along with relevant departments, held a meeting and issued approval documents to Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan and Shenzhen, officially launching pilot programs to expand opening-up in value-added telecom services. We welcome foreign-invested companies to operate telecom businesses in the country.
Second, network infrastructure continues to improve. This year, we adhere to the principle of bolstering infrastructure construction with a moderately proactive approach, introducing policies to promote the 5G RedCap application and the coordinated development of new information infrastructure. A total of 4.089 million 5G base stations have been established, with 10G PON ports for gigabit network services reaching 27.32 million. Additionally, we have established international communications gateway exchanges in four cities: Nanning, Qingdao, Kunming and Haikou, which will further help improve national network services. We have also launched the "Signal Enhancement" initiative to improve signal quality and optimize user experience, accelerating 4G and 5G mobile network coverage in key scenarios like tourist attractions, medical institutions and campuses of higher education.
Third, the comprehensive strength of the industry has steadily improved. The international competitiveness of China's information and communications enterprises has increased significantly, with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom ranking among the world's top 10 telecom operators by revenue. Twenty-four platform enterprises now exceed $10 billion in value, and eight listed companies are among the world's top 30 internet companies by market value. The communications equipment manufacturing industry has continued to thrive, with 220 million mobile phones shipped from January to September, a year-on-year increase of 9.9%. Key technologies are advancing rapidly, with over 15,000 applications and services now available on the HarmonyOS NEXT operating system.
Fourth, inclusive services for public well-being have greatly progressed. Through initiatives, like universal telecom services and the "Broadband in Border Areas" program, more rural and remote areas now have access to reliable network services. Broadband access is now available in all villages and there are over 300 million rural internet users. We are also addressing urgent and difficult issues affecting people's lives, with solid measures including the development of a public service platform for app testing and certification to regulate industry practices. To date, more than 200,000 digital classes for senior citizens have been held, offering training on smart device usage, online payments and anti-fraud knowledge to the elderly and enabling more people to benefit from the digital economy.
Moving forward, the MIIT will continue to promote the coordinated advancement of network construction, application and research, enhancing the information and communications industry to boost China's strength in manufacturing, cyberspace and digital development. The key efforts include: First, advancing network infrastructure upgrades. We will improve policies for dual-gigabit networks (5G and gigabit fiber networks), advance pilot deployment of 10G optical networks and continue to implement the "Broadband in Border Areas" and "Signal Enhancement" initiatives. Second, accelerating research and development of core technologies. We will promote progress and product research and development in 5G-A and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) as well as proactive innovation in 6G, artificial intelligence, quantum information and related fields. Third, deepening integration with the real economy. We will improve policies for 5G scaled applications and high-quality development of the industrial internet, with a focus on creating high-level 5G factories and piloting the integrated application of "5G + industrial internet". Fourth, balancing development and security. We will fully implement data security capability enhancement plans and risk assessments and continuously improve the security of information infrastructure. Lastly, expanding high-level opening-up of the telecom industry. We will encourage foreign enterprises to operate internet data center (IDC) and internet service provider (ISP) businesses in pilot areas. We will provide sound management and services for relevant enterprises and protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law. Efforts in this aspect will help elevate the openness of China's telecom industry to a new stage. Thank you.
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