5G is more than just "one gigabit" longer than 4G.
As everyone knows, 5G is naturally highly anticipated as the "successor" to 4G. From the establishment of the IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group in 2013 to the official commercial launch of 5G in 2019, it took 6 years for 5G to officially meet everyone.
Since it's an upgrade from 4G, 5G's peak speed can reach 10-20 Gbit/s, which is 10 times that of 4G. The direct experience is that the network speed is faster, and you can watch higher quality videos without buffering.
The ultra-low latency of 1ms provides more possibilities for applications such as remote control and autonomous driving; compared with the connection density of approximately 2,000-10,000 devices per square kilometer for 4G, the connection density of 5G can reach 1 million per square kilometer, which means that the coverage area of 5G network can realize the connection of more "things".
In other words, with the support of 5G's wide connectivity, it's not just smart homes that are closely related to our daily lives; 5G also enables the upgrading and integration of technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, accelerating the arrival of the "5G + Internet of Everything" era.
Given 5G's inherent characteristics of higher speed, lower latency, and wide connectivity, it is destined to shine first in fields such as autonomous driving and fully connected factories.
There seems to be little news about the "phenomenal" applications for end users that we are looking forward to. Therefore, apart from the experience of faster internet speeds, our current perception of 5G is not very strong, mainly because "phenomenal" applications have not yet emerged.
Regarding the differentiated advantages of 5G messaging, there are currently no particularly noteworthy features. Looking at the various typical applications published in the development report, they are basically not much different from WeChat's mini-programs and service accounts, and the functions they perform do not exceed the capabilities of existing mobile internet service platforms.
For individual users, peer-to-peer communication and social interaction have already been dominated by internet tools like WeChat. The still immature ecosystem of 5G messaging is completely incapable of challenging the existing landscape, and it's highly unlikely to achieve explosive growth in the consumer market.
Currently, enterprises view 5G messaging as just one of many communication applications across multiple platforms and channels. A unified experience across all platforms and cross-platforms is crucial for industry applications. For user convenience, enterprises will be very concerned about user experience and will find it difficult to restrict access based on user terminal type or network type. As a result, 5G messaging channels will be weaker than existing platforms (such as WeChat/Alipay ecosystem for personal use, and Enterprise WeChat/DingTalk/Lark ecosystem for industry use).
As a mobile internet ecosystem, 5G messaging has inherent advantages, such as regarding phone numbers and personal information. Telecommunications operators naturally have a connection between phone numbers and personal information, and the real-name authentication required by internet platforms also originates from operators. Therefore, service systems built using 5G messaging can differentiate themselves around this advantage. For example, in enterprise applications, linking employee accounts to official mobile phone numbers is more secure and reliable than linking them to personal WeChat accounts.
The difficulties in site selection, approval processes, and location selection for 5G network construction, along with high electricity prices and site rental costs, are significant obstacles to 5G development. The Fujian Provincial Communications Administration has adopted innovative approaches, leveraging the provincial government's policies aimed at improving people's lives, and implementing multiple measures to overcome these challenges. With the support of provincial leaders, and in conjunction with the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Administration submitted eight recommendations to the provincial government, including promoting the opening of public resources, reducing electricity costs, strengthening facility protection, and increasing demonstration applications. These measures focus on building a solid foundation for "Digital Fujian" and further assisting 5G network construction units in site selection and simultaneous construction. This has facilitated the matching of 5G construction needs across 1,199 key projects in the province, representing 92% of all projects, effectively breaking through the major bottlenecks in 5G development.
Furthermore, Fujian Province has compiled a list of various issues related to 5G, including the "three difficulties and two high costs," and collaborated with the Provincial Government Supervision Office, Development and Reform Commission, Key Projects Office, local governments, and power companies to establish a cross-departmental "fast track" for policy services related to 5G site rental, power supply, construction, and funding. Simultaneously, Fujian has spearheaded the compilation of a "toolbox" of support policies for 5G in Fujian, organizing industry representatives to report Fujian's site construction needs to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and enterprise groups on multiple occasions, actively seeking national resource allocation and policy support. By issuing annual 5G investment plans in batches, Fujian has clearly prioritized investment in cities with strong policy support, fostering a competitive environment among these cities.
