Will China deploy its 5G technology for commercial purposes in 2019?

If the data transmission speed of the 4G network is 10 times faster than that of the 3G network, the 5G is far beyond.

It has been said that 2018 was the year of 5G in China. Autonomous vehicles, high-resolution video streaming, smart phones, remote surgical interventions – the entire industry announces as a wonderful future fueled by 5G technology for the Chinese people.

What will happen in 2019? Will the country live up to the hype for deploying 5G technology for commercial purposes this year?

Well, the answer is yes and no.

The first specification of the 5G standard – version 15, launched by 3GPP last June, announced the authorization to manufacture chips, smartphones, peripherals and some compatible 5G gadgets.

The standard tracks the progress made by operators and telecommunications providers.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, China Mobile, one of the top three telecommunications operators in China, has filed more than 1,000 patents as part of the 5G technology research. Another major player, China Telecom, is leading more than 30 international projects in terms of defining 5G standards.

The Chinese Huawei and ZTE, two heavyweights of the domestic telecommunications industry, have also done their best to promote the development of 5G.

By the end of 2018, Huawei has won more than 25 commercial contracts and shipped more than 10,000 base stations in 5G, according to Hu Houkun, rotating chairman of the board.

The fate of the 5G network

It seems like 5G is almost in your eyes. But in reality, things are not so simple. Much remains to be done to make the technology fully available.

Problems with the implementation of the equipment and the financial burden of building the network are just some of the concerns.

5G can not reach its full potential without the large-scale deployment of necessary hardware and supporting equipment such as antennas, towers and cabling.

In addition, rigorous testing must be done before the technology becomes fully available. A 5G smartphone will be a trap until telecommunications operators are fully prepared to deploy their promised 5G network.

"China will and will have 5G commercial applications in 2019, but not on a large scale," said Ge Qi, Head of Strategic Engagement at GSMA Greater China.

Ge predicted that the commercial use of 5G technology is only a beginning, but the large-scale application has to wait at least 2 to 3 years.

For consumers, it is likely that users will begin to benefit from services supported by 5G starting in the second half of 2019 or 2020, he added.

In fact, the 3G and 4G networks will not be replaced by the fast 5G network in the short term. Instead, deploying 5G technology is a step-by-step process that requires government efforts, relevant companies, and customer support.

The Internet of Things and the Internet of Vehicles may be the first step in revolutionizing the way we work, live and travel, because almost everything in our daily lives will be connected to the Internet.

And with regard to the nature of the technology, it can go well beyond a faster speed.

Communication is no longer a human privilege. Things can also "talk" to each other once they are all "in line".

Read more: China performs first 5G-based remote surgery on the human brain