Huaqiangbei to give residents a taste of future with 5G

Huaqiangbei, dubbed the biggest electronics market in the world, will build a 5G experience block by the end of this year to showcase the power of the fifth-generation wireless networking technology in improving people’s day-to-day lives, a Futian District government meeting was told Wednesday.

The block will house a number of 5G experience stores designed to bring immersive experiences to consumers in transportation, logistics, shopping and smart home applications, Lyu Yuyin, Party chief of Futian District, where Huaqiangbei is located, said at the meeting.

He believes the new move will help foster a number of leading 5G enterprises and have a far-reaching impact on the development of 5G. More than just an evolution to higher speeds and increased capacity, the technology is regarded as the precursor to supporting a range of new industries and an enabler of new technologies.

Futian will achieve full district 5G coverage by the end of this year and become a pilot district for 5G applications, especially in smart traffic, health care, shopping and education, according to Lyu. In the construction of 5G base stations, priority will be given to key transportation hubs, public places in the core area and iconic buildings, such as the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center.

A 5G application entrepreneurship competition will also be held.

Shenzhen has been chosen by the Ministry of Industry and Information as one of the first cities in China to pilot 5G applications. Shenzhen and Guangzhou will be the first two 5G-covered cities in Guangdong Province, and 5G network services are planned to be launched in the cities’ densely populated areas this year, according to the provincial government work report delivered at the annual meeting of the provincial legislature earlier this year.

Shenzhen is expected to build about 7,000 5G base stations this year and plans to launch 5G for commercial use by 2020, according to the city’s bureau of industry and information technology in May.

The city is also actively promoting the deep integration of 5G with other technologies and products to build a sound and competitive cluster of 5G-related industries, according to Xu Zhibin, deputy director of the bureau.