(Yicai Global) Jan. 28 -- China's Qinghai-Tibet  Plateau has launched operations at its first 5G base station in the city  of Xining, according to a statement from China Mobile's local unit.

The station, which opened last week, provides the  downtown area with 5G services that are about 10-times faster than 4G  with a peak download speed of 1.3 gigabits-per-second.

Qinghai's infrastructure has often lagged behind  other areas in the country due to its difficult environment and  high-altitude conditions. Local authorities vowed last April to push  ahead with new wireless technologies such as 5G.

The province also plans to offer information services such as virtual reality and telemedicine using the faster internet speeds.

5G is expected to improve communication between  Qinghai's Tibetan-populated areas and the rest of the country by closing  the information service gap, local officials said.