China Unicom moves first Chinese 5G launch up to May

Closely following the launches of early 5G networks in the United States, South Korea, and Europe, China Unicom has decided to move up its commercial 5G rollout to May 2019, accelerating the start of consumer 5G services in China. The largely state-owned carrier announced the news tonight at its Partner Conference in Shanghai alongside 5G chipmaker Qualcomm and a host of device makers.

This evening’s announcement is significant in establishing China’s place in the “race to 5G,” which has been somewhat ambiguous despite rollouts elsewhere in the world. While the gigantic, populous country boasts the world’s largest mobile user base, it took years to bring 4G services online, though it scaled quickly thereafter, establishing China as the world’s largest market for mobile devices.