BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- GSMA, an international association in the mobile industry, has established its 5G Innovation and Investment Group in China, a world first, to help boost innovation and commercial applications of 5G technology.
The group, initiated with 12 other companies including the venture capital subsidiaries of China's top three telecom operators of China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, aims to support the development of startups powered by 5G including in the fields of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and cloud computing.
"We founded the group in China as the country has started commercial use of 5G early, and has vibrant ecosystems," Sihan Bo Chen, head of GSMA Greater China, told Xinhua at a joint media interview.
"We hope that our group can provide a channel for China's startups to show themselves in the international arena," she said, adding that China's successful experiences could also inspire other countries on their own 5G journeys.
Sha Yuejia, the association's innovation advisor and previous vice president of China Mobile, is cautiously optimistic about the future development of 5G in all fields.
"It is hard to predict what fundamental changes or new business models 5G will bring. However, with such a platform, we could create a good environment for innovation and for those startups to grow," Sha said.
According to GSMA's report, China will top the world in terms of 5G connections by 2025, accounting for about one-third of the world's total.
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