On June 6, 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued 5G commercial licenses to China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Broadcasting and Television, marking the official launch of 5G commercial use in China. Time flies like a white horse, and the industry has changed rapidly. 5G has been developing rapidly for five years. Since the commercialization of 5G, China has achieved remarkable achievements in the development of 5G. In the past five years, 5G has not only profoundly changed the way people live, but also led a digital transformation revolution in industries, agriculture, transportation, education, cultural tourism, urban governance, and other fields, becoming a clear symbol of China's leading position in the global new generation information technology field. China's communication operators have spared no effort in the past five years to build the world's largest 5G network, paving the way for digital China's new infrastructure. At present, China has completed the 5G network coverage of all prefecture level cities and county-level urban areas nationwide, and has completed the commercial verification of 5G lightweight coverage in the high, medium, and low frequency bands. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, as of the end of April, the total number of 5G base stations in China reached 3.748 million, accounting for 31.7% of the total number of mobile base stations; The number of 5G mobile phone users has reached 889 million, with a penetration rate of over 60%. Moreover, in this process, China has continuously deepened the co construction and sharing of 5G networks, promoted the construction of efficient, green, and intensive low-carbon communication networks, promoted the commercial use of 5G cross network roaming, and efficiently promoted the coverage of 5G networks in remote areas. This massive new infrastructure provides users with a high-speed, low latency connection experience, and also provides fertile soil for the incubation of innovative applications, becoming a high-speed road for the development of Digital China. With the rapid expansion of 5G networks, the 5G terminal market has shown explosive growth. 5G smartphones have transitioned from high-end to mass market, with penetration rates steadily increasing and maintaining a high level. In the first quarter of 2024, China's 5G mobile phone shipments reached 56.43 million units, accounting for 83.7% of the same period's mobile phone shipments. The comprehensive coverage of the mid to low end market has enabled 5G technology to enter thousands of households. At the same time, the application boundaries of 5G technology are constantly expanding, and new types of terminals such as handheld information terminals, Internet of Things modules, 5G cameras, and vehicle terminals are becoming increasingly popular, deepening 5G technology into more fields and accelerating the digital transformation of the industry. The rapid development of 5G in China is due to strong policy support and continuous improvement of research and development capabilities. As of the end of September 2023, the global proportion of essential patent declarations for 5G standards in China has reached 42%. This has also contributed Chinese strength to the development of 5G globally. The digital transformation of the industry has entered a fast lane. In the Baiyun Ebo mining area of Inner Mongolia, 5G intelligent unmanned mining vehicles shuttle back and forth in huge mines in an orderly manner; At Qingdao Port in Shandong Province, staff can easily achieve remote operation and intelligent operation through 5G network; At Linzhi No. 1 Primary School in Xizang, pupils can interact with teachers of Shenzhen Xiangshanli Primary School in real time through 5G "double teacher teaching"... 5G is not only an iteration of communication technology, but also a catalyst to promote the digital transformation of thousands of industries, and an important support to promote new industrialization. In smart factories, 5G drives intelligent manufacturing, improving production efficiency through remote control, efficient quality inspection, and other means; At the mining dock, 5G frees workers from heavy and dangerous positions, effectively promoting production safety; In the field of transportation, the combination of 5G and intelligent driving provides the possibility for the implementation of intelligent transportation systems. The number of 5G industry application cases has exceeded 94000, blooming everywhere. As of April, 5G applications have been integrated into 74 of 97 national economic categories, and the number of "5G+Industrial Internet" projects has exceeded 10000, which has been promoted in key fields such as industry, mining, and power, and application empowerment has accelerated to expand to core control links. The White Paper on the Development and Economic and Social Impact of 5G in China (2023) released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology shows that in 2023, 5G directly drove a total economic output of 1.86 trillion yuan, directly driven an economic added value of about 551.2 billion yuan, indirectly driven a total output of about 4.24 trillion yuan, and indirectly driven an economic added value of about 1.55 trillion yuan. As 5G continues to develop, its driving effect is further strengthening, bringing more and more new momentum to industrial upgrading and high-quality economic development. The development potential of 5G is infinite, and looking back on five years of development in the future, China's information and communication industry has achieved positive results in infrastructure construction, technological innovation, application empowerment, and green inclusiveness around 5G, laying a solid foundation for the next step of the development of new quality productivity. Looking ahead to the future, the continuous evolution of 5G technology and the continuous expansion of application scenarios indicate that its impact will be even more profound. The advancement of next-generation technologies such as 5G Advanced will bring more possibilities to more vertical industries such as low altitude economy. At the same time, the integration with technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence will breed more new formats and models. Currently, China is promoting the "Artificial Intelligence+" initiative, integrating the two cutting-edge technologies of 5G and AI, which has opened up broader prospects for technological innovation and industrial upgrading. 5G provides a channel for rapid data transmission for AI, showcasing the infinite potential of 5G+AI, from refined management of smart cities to intelligent decision-making in intelligent manufacturing. The deep integration of 5G and artificial intelligence is promising in the future. From the development of the information and communication industry, 5G is not only a leap forward in communication technology, but also opens up a new era of intelligence, efficiency, and interconnection. With the continuous evolution of technology and the deepening of application scenarios, 5G will continue to shine in every corner of social life, leading society towards a more intelligent and sustainable future. (Lai Xin She)