China Mobile, the largest mobile carrier globally, is set for significant 5G infrastructure expansion in 2025, aiming for 2.8 million base stations. With a surging 5G subscriber base, making up 55% of users, and rising financial performance, this move positions China Mobile as a leader in the mobile network industry.
ZTE Corporation, alongside China Mobile, launched innovative AI-driven 5G-A solutions at MWC 2025. These advancements in 5G-A technology, including ‘Communication-Sensing-Computing-Intelligence’ and ‘Ambient IoT,’ promise groundbreaking transformations in industrial applications.
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile network operator, has surpassed 1 billion subscribers, adding 559,000 new users in July alone. Notably, it also saw a net addition of 13.7 million 5G customers, bringing its total to nearly 528 million. Such growth underscores China Mobile’s strategic push in the VoIP and 5G sectors.
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, now boasts over 500 million 5G users, according to its latest report. By the end of May, the telecom giant had 502.6 million active 5G network users, reflecting the growing adoption of this next-generation technology. This figure marks a significant milestone, as it represents actual 5G usage rather than just subscriptions to 5G plans.
In a pioneering initiative, passengers traveling on a high-speed rail route in Southern China are now enjoying faster and more reliable 5G connectivity, thanks to the innovative use of digital twin technology. ZTE and China Mobile’s Yunnan Branch have collaboratively developed a detailed 3D model of the railway’s surrounding infrastructure, significantly enhancing network performance along the challenging terrain of the KunchuDali railway.
China’s “dual carbon” mandate is reshaping data centers, creating an eco-conscious equilibrium between robust computational power and sustainability. Consider China Mobile’s Hohhot data center, built with Huawei, melding massive computational potential with cutting-edge energy-saving technologies.
China Mobile showcased its decade of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) innovations at the recent MWC Shanghai, demonstrating how this swift, stealthy technology is redefining the telecommunications landscape. NFV, simplifying network operations by converting physical services into virtual ones, offers benefits like operational efficiency and cost reduction. However, the integration of NFV comes with its hurdles including disrupting long-established procedures and system stability. Nonetheless, the prospect of streamlining network operations and bolstering future technological advancements underscores the appeal of overcoming such obstacles.
GSMA welcomes China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom to the Open Gateway initiative, aiming to enhance services and boost 5G connectivity through API-driven single access points. Collaboration between operators, developers, and cloud providers promises new opportunities and transformative benefits.
Telecom operators globally embrace digital transformation, with East Asia dominating the top positions in Omdia’s benchmark. China Mobile leads, driven by high-speed broadband deployment and innovative service development, followed by SK Telecom’s AI-focused reinvention.
Hangzhou leads the digital revolution with the Dual 10 Gigabit City project, partnering with industry giants like Huawei to foster 5.5G technology, enhance connectivity and pioneer innovative applications for a smarter future.
