Shenzhen has reached its initial target of 15,000 5G base stations ahead of schedule, hitting the goal yesterday, according to local media.

It probably helps that Shenzhen is the home city of network-gear giants Huawei and ZTE. But it should also be noted that the city rolled out a series of lucrative incentives to other developers in order to reach its goal. These included cold, hard cash – 10,000 yuan for every base station opened – as well as subsidies of up to 150 million yuan for operators who pulled the networks together. 

By August next year, 45,000 base stations are expected to have been built, achieving full coverage of the city. This density will lead the country, and provide fertile ground for the development of 5G-related applications.

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Guangdong has announced that three cities have been approved to establish specially designated 5G Industrial Parks. They are: Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shantou. 

These parks are where more resources will be devoted to creating clusters of companies engaged in cutting-edge development of applications and services build on the new super-fast network standard, according to local media.

Continue reading Guangdong chooses 5G parks →

Guangzhou’s Huangpu District has a plan for building a strong cluster of companies around 5G-enabled products and services. It includes subsidies and rewards of up to 5 million yuan per company, according to local media. 

Those developing core technologies such as high-end microchips, components, and new 5G terminals are in line for up to 3 million yuan in “cultivation rewards”. They can also apply for a one-time subsidy of 300,000 yuan per staff hired that meets the city government’s standards for “talent”.

On top of that, successful companies generating sales of more than 100 million yuan can get rewards of up to 2 million yuan. 

Continue reading Cash subsidies for 5G innovation →