China plans to increase the number of fifth-generation base stations in the country by 42 percent this year. The government has set a goal to build more than 600,000 5G base stations in 2022, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology spokesperson Tian Yulong said. The country already has more than 1.42 million, Yicai Global reported. China will ramp up 5G coverage for business areas, industrial parks, high-speed trains, transport hubs, shopping centers, and other crowded spaces, Tian said, adding that it will heavily promote the innovative development of 5G applications and further advance the demonstration of ‘5G + industrial internet’ scenarios. ‘5G + medical health’ and ‘5G + smart education’ also will be trialed, with sustained penetration and expansion into the agriculture, culture, and tourism areas, he said, noting that a series of new smart devices and apps will be launched to improve 5G user experience. Moreover, China will promote the iterative upgrading and research and development of 5G technologies, increase the R&D of core chips and devices.