(Yicai Global) Sept. 13 -- China, which has the world's largest group of fifth-generation wireless communications device users, now has 1.04 million 5G base stations, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global tally, according to a ministry.

More than 400 million people in China use 5G devices, exceeding four-fifths of the world's total, said Xiao Yaqing, head of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at a press conference today.

China's 5G base stations cover more than 95 percent of the nation's counties and urban areas, as well as 35 percent of townships as of Aug. 31, said spokesperson Zhao Zhiguo.

The novel technology is being used in increasingly diverse ways. Typical applications include 4K/8K high-definition video, smart healthcare, internet of vehicles, and distance learning, said Zhao.

Between January and August, China's 5G mobile phone shipments reached 168 million units, an 80 percent jump from a year ago, according to Zhao. Last month, the share of 5G handsets among all mobile phone shipments climbed to 74 percent.

Connectivity is becoming universal. More than 99 percent of Chinese villages are covered by 4G networks, and the average download rate of fiber optic networks has exceeded 100 megabytes, indicating the same speed as in urban areas, said Tian Yulong, MIIT chief engineer.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi