Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province recently unveiled a plan to promote the application and industrialization of 5G technology in the city.

According to the plans, the city aims to build itself into a national demonstration area for the innovation and application of 5G by 2022.

It will ramp up construction on network infrastructure. By 2020, it plans to build 6,000 5G base stations, with signals covering its central urban area, key industrial zones, ports and scenic spots. By 2022, the city aims to have more than 20,000 base stations covering all jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, more efforts will be made to promote the industrial application of 5G technologies in a vast swath of sectors, the document said.

It will prioritize the application of 5G technologies in intelligent ports, intelligent driving, industrial internet and smart cities.

Ningbo will further develop and manufacture core 5G components, while also setting up a raft of research and development facilities to bolster innovation in the sector.

It will assist Ningbo University in constructing a 5G R&D lab and support 5G equipment suppliers including Huawei and ZTE in establishing R&D centers in the city.

By 2022, it aims to establish five 5G industry innovation platforms at or above the provincial level and introduce a number of high-end innovation teams to develop 5G technologies and solutions with independent intellectual property rights.

Last week, the first batch of 5G phones hit the shelves in Ningbo.

In early June, China granted 5G licenses for commercial use, and Ningbo was among the first batch of pilot cities in China to use 5G networks.

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province recently unveils a plan to promote the application and industrialization of 5G technology in the city.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]