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Commuters in Chengdu can now access 5G mobile services at one of the city’s busiest stations
Officials in China have announced that the country’s first 5G subway station has gone live in the city of Chengdu.
Sichuan Telecom has launched the site at Taipingyuan Station in Chengdu, after the unveiling of the country’s first 5G live test site in 2018.
The station is covered by the country’s first indoor distribution system network, which uses spectrum in the 2.6GHz range, to provide 100 per cent coverage in the station.
China has invested heavily in 5G and a recent report published by Deloitte estimates that it has already deployed 350,000 5G cell sites across the country.
"The United States, Japan, and South Korea have all made significant strides toward 5G readiness, but none to the same extent as China. Infrastructure spend and tower density distinguish China’s leap forward and highlight the degree to which China outpaces the United States during these early stages of 5G deployment," the report said.
The unveiling of the country’s first 5G ready underground metro station suggests that while the US is pushing ahead with isolated metropolitan releases in early 2019, China may see a more comprehensive rollout when it begins its national 5G launch later in the same year.
