China Wireless Infrastructure, July 2025 - Leveraging its Economic and 5G Superpower Status, China is Deploying 5G-A to Pave the Road to 6G, its New National Focus
This report focuses on 5G, including 5G-Advanced, developments in China, including macroeconomics, geopolitics, and technology. The publication date is scheduled after the 4 service providers (China Broadcasting Network, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom) provide their annual reports, so that we can gather many details about 2024 and provide a 2025 outlook and a 5-year forecast. This report also includes RAN vendor market shares and analysis.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
KEY TAKEAWAYS
LEVERAGING ITS ECONOMIC AND 5G SUPERPOWER STATUS, CHINA IS PAVING THE ROAD TO 6G, ITS
NEW NATIONAL FOCUS SET IN 2024
CHINA'S EMPHASIS ON TAKING AN EARLY LEAD IN 6G HAS BEEN PLAIN TO SEE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW
All that put Huawei in the 6G patent driver's seat
FROM DAY 1, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SAW 5G AS A KEY ENABLER OF CHINA'S DIGITAL ECONOMY
After being the world's factory for the past 2 decades, China has shifted gears to decrease the GDP share of the industrial sector
In 2024 alone, the mobile industry contributed over $1T to China's GDP
At GSMA's MWC25 Shanghai in June 2025, China presented its progress with 5G-Advanced as the next chapter before 6G
In 2024, the 3 Chinese service providers registered growing traction in the lucrative industrial sector powered by private 5G
FROM ECONOMIC POWER TO 5G SUPERPOWER
By far, China boasts the world's largest BTS footprint
Once again, China beats its 5G BTS target of 3.67M but as expected, RAN revenue went 15% down YoY
AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST TOTAL MOBILE AND 5G SUBSCRIBER BASE
2025 MARKS THE END OF CHINA'S 14TH 5-YEAR PLAN (2021-2025) AND THE START OF A DECLINING TREND UNTIL 6G KICKS IN
A new action plan named "Set Sail" has been launched to extend 5G connectivity to rural and remote regions
Meanwhile, "Set Sail" will not boost Capex, which declined 10% YoY in 2024 and are forecasted to drop 9% this year
As a result, RAN sales will decline 14% this year
2025 will see the rise of 5G-A to pave the way to 6G
In 1H25, we noticed that China is accelerating the rollout of 5G-A networks across multiple cities
As early as in 2028, China may kick off 6G rollouts
TOGETHER, HUAWEI AND ZTE COMMAND 87% OF THE DOMESTIC MARKET
Huawei and ZTE have been dominating the market at the expense of Ericsson and Nokia