The large operator has built more than 50% of the 5G base stations in the world.
In July 2021, China Mobile announced that the power consumption of the 5G base station had been reduced to a figure amounting to about three times that of the 4G base stations, about 1900W. The energy consumption of a single station was more than four times that of a 4G station in 2019. At that time, according to China Mobile, a single 4G base station required about CNY 20,000 operating fees per year, while a 5G base station required about CNY 55,000.
Even as the technology becomes more widespread, high power consumption continues to be an important factor hindering the development of 5G.
In the future, the company hopes to further reduce the energy consumption of 5G base stations through the use of new technology layers and devices. The company's goal is to reduce the peak power consumption of 5G base stations to twice that of 4G by 2025.
By the end of March 2021, the number of 5G base stations in China had reached nearly 820,000, accounting for 70% of the 5G base stations in the world. Among them, China Mobile accounted for half, with 410,000 stations. At present, the number of 5G user connections in China exceeds 280 million, accounting for 80% of global 5G connections. Overall, the reduction of energy consumption has a serious strategic meaning for the Chinese 5G industry.