In recent months, many mobile users across China have noticed a subtle yet significant change on their devices — the appearance of the 5G-A icon replacing the previous 5G signal indicator. This change reflects a pivotal evolution in mobile communication technology: the arrival of 5G-Advanced (5G-A), a powerful upgrade from standard 5G that promises to redefine digital connectivity across industries and daily life.

Low latency, high precision and massive connections

Sometimes dubbed 5.5G, 5G-A marks a mid-generation leap in wireless communication, bridging the gap between 5G and the future 6G. Communication technologies typically evolve in 10-year cycles, and halfway through, enhanced versions emerge — like 2.5G, 3.5G and now 5G-A. This iteration brings a tenfold improvement in speed, latency, capacity and positioning accuracy, enabling seamless, immersive experiences that were previously out of reach.

The most tangible improvement lies in speed. With download rates rising from one Gbps in early 5G to 10 Gbps in 5G-A, and upload speeds increasing from 100 Mbps to one Gbps, users can now download high-resolution videos or immersive XR content in seconds. Beyond entertainment, this speed facilitates industrial applications requiring real-time data processing and interaction, such as cloud gaming, holographic communication and full-scenario livestreaming.

5G-A also dramatically reduces latency to millisecond levels, making it ideal for mission-critical applications. Video conferences become fluid, online gaming runs without lag, and more importantly, remote surgery and automated factories benefit from real-time responsiveness and reliability.

Equally significant is 5G-A's support for massive device connectivity. It enables up to tens of billions of simultaneous device connections, which lays a strong foundation for a mature Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. Whether in a packed shopping mall or a smart home packed with sensors, 5G-A ensures stable, efficient data transmission across the board.

Moreover, 5G-A introduces pinpoint positioning accuracy, a leap forward from the meter-level precision of 5G. This makes autonomous vehicles, logistics automation, and location-sensitive applications vastly more effective and safer.

Intelligent sensing and new-generation infrastructure

Beyond pure communication, 5G-A presents the revolutionary concept of "Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC)"— allowing devices to not only transmit data but also sense their environments. Like radar, this enables smart vehicles to detect traffic flow more accurately and respond in real time. In smart homes, ISAC allows devices to recognize user presence and behavior, adjusting the environment automatically.

This sensing capability also benefits public governance, with applications in environmental monitoring, such as detecting rainfall, air quality, and pollutant levels in real time, helping city managers make data-driven decisions.

According to official statistics, China's three major telecom operators — China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom — are rapidly deploying 5G-A infrastructure. China Mobile already equipped 100 pilot cities with 5G-A coverage, and it will invest nearly 10 billion RMB to upgrade more than 400,000 base stations with AI-enhanced 5G-A capabilities in 2025.

Importantly, most main smartphone brands already support 5G-A, and no additional charges are required for users to access the network — making adoption seamless for the public.

Unlocking future industries

Experts believe that 5G-A will not merely improve communication but will become a new productivity engine. Traditional sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and transportation will benefit from real-time monitoring, intelligent automation, and improved operational efficiency.

Meanwhile, emerging industries, including low-altitude economy, autonomous driving, spatial computing, and even brain-computer interface research, will find 5G-A an essential enabler.

With its ability to integrate "communication, sensing, computation and intelligence," 5G-A repositions the mobile network as critical infrastructure for the era of intelligent connectivity. Its deployment is not only a technological upgrade but a strategic shift toward smart, responsive and low-cost digital economies.

As China accelerates its digital transformation, 5G-A is poised to be the technological backbone of this transition — reshaping industries, enhancing public services, and empowering innovation on an unprecedented scale.