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The number of Chinese netizens reached 1.06 billion as of December of 2022, an increase of 35.49 million from the same period of 2021, with the internet availability rate reaching 75.6 percent, according to the 51st China Statistical Report on Internet Development released on Thursday by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

According to the report, with the continuous advancement of new infrastructure construction, China's network infrastructure capacity is constantly strengthening, and the foundation for the interconnection of everything is being consolidated. Furthermore, the industrial internet system has been gradually improved, the scale of internet users has remained stable, and the popularity of the internet has increased significantly, which has promoted the digital transformation of production and life.

The report shows the internet environment has continued to improve, and the increase of Internet of Things (IoT) terminals has promoted the connection of everything. As of December of 2022, the total number of domains in China reached 34.4 million and the total number of 5G base stations reached 2.31 million, 21.3 percent of the total number of mobile base stations and an increase of 7 percentage points from the December of 2021.

China has set up the world's largest optic fiber network and mobile broadband network. As of December of 2022, the total length of optical cable in China amounted to 59.58 million kilometers, an increase of 4.77 million kilometers from the end of 2021.

In terms of the development of IoT, the total number of terminal connections on China's mobile network has reached 3.52 billion.

Besides, China's mobile network is currently leading the world in 5G construction. 2.31 million 5G base stations have been built and put into operation, accounting for over 60 percent of the total number in the world. The number of 5G users has reached 561 million, or one-third of mobile phone users.

According to Ren Zhangxiao, deputy director of the CNNIC, the development of China's internet made a steady progress in 2022, which further unleashed the vitality of digital consumption, enhanced the driving force of digital production and released the potential of digital life.

Meanwhile, China's industrial internet system has gradually improved, with the number of influential industrial internet platforms reaching 240. The development of "5G+industrial internet" has speed up with the number of "5G+industrial internet" projects across the nation reaching more than 4,000.

The "5G+industrial internet" will become an important support for the high-end, intelligent and green development of the manufacturing industry.

The report also shows the scale of internet users in China stayed basically stable in 2022. The standardization of internet medical services has continued to improve and the internet has become an important tool to realize rural revitalization and promote the development of digital services in rural areas.

Global Times