China Outlines Telecommunications and AI Infrastructure Targets for 2030
China has unveiled goals under its 15th Five-Year Plan framework for the telecommunications sector, targeting a 95% 5G user penetration rate, 320 million gigabit-plus broadband users, and 9,800 EFLOPs of intelligent AI compute capacity by 2030. The policy also prioritizes advancing dual-10Gbps networks, 6G base station research, direct-to-cell satellite connectivity, and integrated compute-network infrastructure. These targets highlight China's strategic effort to maintain global leadership in telecommunications while building the massive compute infrastructure required for next-generation AI models. By combining satellite communications, 6G, and high-performance compute networks, China aims to establish a unified digital foundation for futuristic industrial and consumer applications. As of July 2024, China had deployed 5.154 million 5G base stations and reached 2,185 EFLOPs of intelligent compute, meaning AI compute capacity is projected to more than quadruple by 2030. The planned dual-10Gbps evolution relies on combining 5G-Advanced (5G-A) wireless networks with 10G optical fixed broadband.
## BACKGROUND
"Dual-10Gbps" refers to the infrastructure synergy between 5G-Advanced wireless networks and 10G optical fiber networks, delivering ultra-high network bandwidth and minimal latency for homes and enterprises. Compute-network collaboration involves optimizing and integrating network Quality of Service (QoS) directly with cloud and edge server infrastructure to efficiently route complex AI compute workloads.