The microwave-supported 5G base station on Qilizhi Island in Zhenhai district, Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province [Photo/zj.zjol.com] 

China Mobile Ningbo recently launched a microwave-supported 5G base station on Qilizhi Island in Zhenhai district, Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, the first of its kind ever seen in China.

The island is located at the estuary of the Yongjiang River and the throat of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The base station will provide 5G coverage to the port's Jintang Anchorage and the Ningbo-Zhoushan Expressway, near the Yongjiang River estuary. 

Microwave is an important data transmission medium that meets the large bandwidth and low latency requirements of 5G network.

According to the site test, the download rate on 5G network is 10 times faster than on 4G network.

"The launch of the base station marks a successful attempt in providing 5G coverage on an island, which is too remote for fiber optic cables to be deployed. The success will serve as an example for other areas in China," said Wang Ren, an executive from China Mobile Ningbo.

China Mobile Ningbo has so far launched 30 5G base stations and is currently working on building a 5G network pilot zone in the city.

A worker debugs a piece of equipment for the base station. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]