China’s 15th Five-Year Plan Sets Stage for 6G Commercial Era
China has formally committed to accelerating the maturity of its 6G industry and building a comprehensive ecosystem under the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), positioning the country at the forefront of next-generation telecommunications development. The announcement came at a State Council Information Office press conference on August 26, where Xinhua News reported that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) will prioritize core 6G technology research, continue technology trials and standards development, and prepare for commercial deployment.
Liu Yulin, Director of MIIT’s Information and Communication Development Department, stated that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will “accelerate core 6G technology research, continue 6G technology trials and standards development, promote 6G industry maturity and ecosystem building, and prepare for 6G commercial deployment.” The press conference, titled “Opening the 15th Five-Year Plan,” emphasized that 6G development will be a top priority during the plan period.
A Strategic Priority in China’s Technology Blueprint
The 15th Five-Year Plan, formally adopted by the National People’s Congress in March 2026, represents the most technology-focused policy blueprint in China’s history. As the World Economic Forum noted, the plan explicitly designates 6G infrastructure alongside quantum computing, embodied artificial intelligence, and semiconductor self-sufficiency as strategic priority sectors. The plan emphasizes industrial modernization and innovation that leads to real-world value, signaling a shift from scaling up to sharpening China’s technological edge.
MIIT officials detailed that the ministry will accelerate planning for new-generation communication networks and computing power networks, promote 5G and industrial internet for large-scale application in key industries, and strengthen 6G technology R&D, according to CCTV News. China has already developed nearly 200 key artificial intelligence standards, IT之家 reported, underscoring the country’s growing influence in shaping next-generation technology frameworks.
Building the 6G Ecosystem
The 15th Five-Year Plan also includes creating national emerging industry development demonstration bases, focusing on new-generation information technology, new energy, new materials, intelligent connected new energy vehicles, robots, biomedicine, high-end equipment, and aerospace. By 2035, China aims to cultivate approximately 100 demonstration parks and 1,000 demonstration enterprises with leadership in product development, technological innovation, and business model innovation, as reported by Sina Finance.
MIIT’s 6G Pilot Program
In June 2026, MIIT launched the “6G Innovation Development Ministry-Province Collaborative Pilot Special Action,” a strategic initiative designed to coordinate national and provincial resources. According to the official MIIT notice, the program aims to form a batch of independently innovative 6G technology solutions, cultivate promising new business application scenarios, and produce diverse new terminal products by 2029 to support 6G commercial deployment.
The pilot program focuses on four key tasks: strengthening technology research collaboration, industrial R&D collaboration, application cultivation collaboration, and project layout collaboration. Provinces were required to submit pilot work plans by July 31, 2026, with implementation periods of approximately three years. The China Communication Society highlighted that the program leverages China’s “new-type whole-nation system” advantage to create a coordinated national 6G innovation framework.
Central Enterprises Mobilized for 6G
On August 20, 2026, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) held a “Central Enterprise 6G Future Industry Promotion Meeting” with 31 central enterprises participating. As IT之家 reported, the meeting emphasized filling technology gaps, strengthening basic theoretical source innovation, promoting fundamental breakthroughs in key technology components, and building a safe and stable 6G industry chain and supply chain.
The meeting also called for accelerating international cooperation, building a diversified cooperation system, and comprehensively enhancing international discourse power. SASAC urged enterprises to incubate scenario-based business models, actively promote integration of 6G technology with the real economy, and accelerate the realization of a 6G commercial closed loop.
Global Standardization and Competitive Landscape
The international 6G standardization effort is progressing in parallel. 3GPP launched 6G technology pre-research and standardization in 2025, with the first 6G standard version expected to be finalized in September 2026 and the basic version standard planned for completion in 2029, potentially enabling initial commercial deployment at that time, according to IT之家’s analysis.
China enters this standardization race with significant advantages. The country holds the largest number of 6G patents globally, with Chinese 6G-related patents accounting for 40.3% of the global total, according to ChinaIRN’s industry analysis. China has also completed the first phase of 6G technology trials, forming more than 300 key 6G technology reserves.
The foundation for 6G is substantial. China operates 4.39 million 5G base stations with 75.9% user penetration—the largest 5G deployment globally—providing the infrastructure base for next-generation network evolution, as noted by the China Investors Club.
Economic Projections and Market Potential
According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China plans to start 6G commercial applications in 2030 and achieve large-scale commercial deployment by 2035. As China Electronic News reported, the “15th Five-Year Plan” period will focus on three main tasks: deepening technology and standards development, increasing technology trials and product R&D, and strengthening international cooperation.
Industry projections are ambitious. China’s 6G core industry scale is projected to exceed 800 billion RMB by 2030, driving related industries to exceed 1.8 trillion RMB, with an annual compound growth rate of over 35% from 2025-2030, according to ChinaIRN. By 2035, the 6G industry and application market is expected to reach trillion-yuan scale.
What to Watch Next
As the first 6G standard version approaches finalization in September 2026, several key developments bear watching. The MIIT pilot program will begin implementation across provinces, with initial results expected within three years. The SASAC-coordinated central enterprise initiatives will shape the industrial supply chain. And international cooperation efforts—particularly with Belt and Road countries and BRICS nations—will determine the global 6G ecosystem’s trajectory.
The path to 6G commercialization involves significant challenges, including core technology gaps in high-end components, the need for substantial infrastructure investment, and the complexity of global standards coordination. However, with the 15th Five-Year Plan’s explicit prioritization and the coordinated efforts of government, industry, and research institutions, China is positioning itself to lead the next generation of telecommunications technology.
As the World Economic Forum observed, China’s planning cycle is “less about acceleration and more about reengineering the vehicle itself.” For 6G, that reengineering is now firmly underway, with the commercial era approaching on the horizon.