How 5G Will Change China (Beyond Faster Video Games)

Sign up for Next China, a weekly email on where the nation stands now and where it's going next. When China's wireless carriers debut their 5G networks this year, early adopters whose mobile phones can handle the ultra-fast speeds won't be the only beneficiaries. Rolling 5G service out to the world's biggest population also should give a boost to China's digital economy, including makers of telecommunications equipment, platforms and applications for the internet of things, autonomous driving, surveillance and factory automation. It's the kind of head start that will be expensive at first but could pay off well into the future. Major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen will get broad 5G -- or fifth-generation -- wireless coverage first, while some other cities will start with 5G hotspots.