INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesChina's mobile operators have made 5G services available to consumers, as the country seeks to become a global
technology leader.State-owned carriers China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom unveiled their 5G data plans on Thursday.It comes as
Beijing and Washington have been embroiled in a power struggle over trade and technology.South Korea, the US and the UK have all rolled out
their next generation 5G networks this year.5G is the fifth-generation of mobile internet connectivity
It promises much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections.Media playback is unsupported on your
deviceMedia captionTheIndianSubcontinent News puts 5G connectivity to the test on two phones, downloading a podcast.The Chinese carriers had
initially scheduled the launch for next year, but accelerated the rollout.The superfast service is now available to consumers in 50 Chinese
cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, with prices for monthly plans ranging from 128 yuan ($18; £14) to 599 yuan, according to state
media Xinhua.More than 130,000 5G base stations will be activated by the end of the year to support the 5G network, the government said in
the statement.This would make it one of the world's largest 5G deployments, it said.China and the US have been fighting for leadership in
the technology sector in recent months, with Chinese tech giant Huawei at the centre of their power struggle.Huawei has supplied the largest
amount of network equipment for China's 5G rollout and has been in talks with various other countries to help with their 5G
networks.However, the US has blacklisted the company, arguing it poses a national security risk and has lobbied allies to shun Huawei from
Huawei denies this, and many in China see the US actions as part of its efforts to curb the rise of the world's second largest economy.
