China Mobile tests 5G network of over 1,000 Mbps in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, in October. Photo: VCG

China plans to unveil a list of cities which will be able to access the gigabit network next year, media reported on Monday. It is believed that the move will accelerate the construction of internet infrastructure in China and promote industrial innovation.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Broadband Development Alliance (BDA) plans to release the first phase of China's gigabit city network infrastructure in the first half of 2020 and announce a list of gigabit cities, Shanghai Securities News reported on Monday.

The gigabit network is an internet connection that provides speeds of 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps), which is also referred to as "1 Gbps" or gigabit internet.

Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times that current internet speeds in China are between 100 and 200 Mbps, which already places it in a leading position globally, and the construction of the gigabit network will further enhance customer experience and promote innovation for industries.

"Upgrading the internet speed to gigabit will make more device connections available, which will provide a better customer experience and help industries create new business models," Xiang said.

As the 5G network has entered commercial use in China, regulators have also urged haste in the development of the gigabit network. 

On November 1, the BDA introduced an index system for the building of a gigabit city, which clarified the direction and key work of gigabit optical fiber broadband and 5G construction in China, Shanghai Securities News reported, adding that that the list of gigabit cities will be based on the index system.

According to the World Bank, a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration leads to a 1.38 percent increase in GDP, and doubling bandwidth leads to a 0.3 percent increase.

Xiang agreed with these figures, saying, "Developing the gigabit network is one of the core foundations of national economic development."

"Network communication is like our blood circulation, and the gigabit network can make the circulation smoother," he said.