A few 5G mobile phones are expected to hit the market in the second half of 2019, said Zhang Yunyong, member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at an interview ahead of the opening of the second session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee.

Attendees visit the exhibition booth of Chinese tech giant Huawei at the 2019 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, February 25. Xiaomi and other Chinese technology firms also rolled out their latest 5G products and solutions. 5G commercial devices were the biggest highlight of the event, and the products released by Chinese firms attracted wide attention. (Photo by Chen Xiaohang, People’s Daily)

“5G smart phones will be widely available in 2020 across China, offering high-speed, high-quality, high-user experience and intelligent 5G services,” added Zhang, who is also the president of the China Unicom Research Institute.

When speaking of the possible changes that are expected to be brought by the 5G technology to daily life, Zhang made a vivid description.

A 5G router would sing a pleasant melody in the morning to wake you up, and track your sleep quality by the movements you have made on a sensor mattress. Later, a cup of decent coffee would be ready after the router sends a signal to the coffee machine. After breakfast, an autopilot cab is hailed and a fastest route planned. The 5G network at the office will also enable teleconferences through virtual reality technology.

“It seems that there is no difference between 5G and 4G mobile phones, while 5G devices are times faster than 4G devices, ” Zhang noted, adding that with 5G devices, a 1GB movie would be downloaded in just three seconds.

5G technology features not only faster speed, but also intelligence, the CPPCC member said. He believes that the technology will change the telecommunication industry and even the whole society at large.

China started research and experiment on 5G technology as early as 2016 and piloted the technology in multiple cities two years later. The next-generation mobile system is expected to embrace wide roll-out in 2020.

Developing the technology in an orderly manner, China is racing ahead in 5G.