Hangzhou unveils its first 5G base station

The first batch of commercial 5G base stations in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province opened on March 11, local media reported.

The base stations, jointly built by the China Mobile Communication Hangzhou Branch and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, will cover six areas in Hangzhou including Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, Dragon Sports Centre, E-Sports Town, and Hangzhou Grand Theatre.

Tests at the base stations showed that the peak speed of the 5G technology reached 280 Mbps, signifying that a 2.8GB film of high definition could be downloaded within one second on the network.

As a frontrunner in 5G technologies, Hangzhou launched the 5G network trails last February and now has the largest 5G trial network in China, covering 10 major regions including core business districts, scenic spots, characteristic towns and research institutes.

The 5G services is expected to be put into pre-commercial use in the second half of this year, said an official from the China Mobile Communication Zhejiang Branch.