China's 5G user base passes a record 400 million.

ISLAMABAD -- The number of 5G users in China passed a record 400 million in the first quarter - one in every four subscribers - the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

China is speeding up 5G base station construction this year, supporting 5G applications in the industrial, education and other sectors and kicking off elderly-friendly 5G services to boost 5G development and the digital economy, the ministry said.

5G is now an "artery" feeding the development of the information society and digital infrastructure construction in China, Zhao Zhiguo, the ministry's spokesman, said.

In the first quarter, China added 48.1 million 5G users to reach a total of 403 million - passing the 400-million mark for the first time. The penetration rate hit 24.3 percent, Shanghai Daily reported.

The 1-gigabyte broadband network now coves 320 million families nationwide, giving them access to super-fast broadband services.

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