A pedestrian walks past a Huawei store in Sydney, Australia, May 23, 2019. Photo: Xinhua

Global 5G deployment is beginning to wrap up, and with the installation of more than 1.5 million 5G base stations expected by the end of this year, the next focus should be on industry applications, said Huawei Rotating Chairman Guo Ping on Monday.

The remarks were made during the opening day of the online Better World Summit held by the Chinese tech firm on Monday, where Guo elaborated on how Huawei has and will use 5G to boost digital transformation across all sectors of society during the pandemic and in the future.

"As global 5G deployment begins to wrap up, we need to strengthen our focus on industry applications. This will help us unleash the full potential of 5G," Guo said.

As of this June, 81 telecom carriers have rolled out commercial 5G networks. The countries and regions covered by these networks account for 72 percent of the world's GDP, including leading economies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Globally, there are already more than 90 million 5G users. Over 700,000 5G base stations have been deployed, and it is expected to see more than 1.5 million by the end of this year, data unveiled by the firm showed.

The signal from Huawei is clear - telecom carriers who have selected Huawei equipment will be the first to reap the benefits of 5G, a Beijing-based industry insider surnamed Jiang and a close follower of Huawei told the Global Times on Monday.

Guo said the firm has "a broad set of capabilities spanning 5G, computing, cloud, AI, and industry applications. By leveraging these strengths, we can provide scenario-based solutions that unlock the full potential of 5G and help both our customers and partners achieve greater business success."

"Nevertheless, those who are still weighing whether to use its equipment for 5G will significantly lag behind and will not benefit from the chance to lead the industry," Jiang said.

The remarks were also viewed by industry insiders as a response to Huawei's recent dilemma in Europe, where the UK has banned the firm from its 5G network deployment, while other economies in the region have also been weighing the decision, leading to uncertainties about the firm's fate in Europe.

"Moving forward, Huawei will double down on efforts to equip our partners with the capabilities they need, promote joint innovation and drive growth for everyone in the value chain," Guo said.

"No matter what challenges come our way, we will fulfill our obligations to our customers and suppliers. We will get through this and keep forging ahead, helping to grow the digital economy and pushing technology forward," he said.

In the past 30-plus years, the Chinese firm has deployed over 1,500 networks in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over 3 billion people worldwide. It has also provided smart devices to 600 million consumers and delivered services to 228 Fortune Global 500 companies.