Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai. Several news platforms recently claimed that China had launched the world's first 10G broadband network on April 20, 2025, in Sunan County of Hubei province. However, this claim is factually incorrect. Countries like South Korea, Japan, Romania, the UK, the US, and the UAE have already rolled out 10G optical broadband services in the past few years. These high-speed services are primarily used for business purposes but are also accessible to communities in some regions.

Pilot Project, Not a Nationwide Launch

According to chinaminutes website, China has initiated pilot projects for 10G broadband deployment across the country. The reported launch in Sunan County is inaccurate. Instead, the rollout actually took place in Xiong’an, which is among the 168 regions selected under China’s national pilot initiative announced in January 2025 by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. These projects aim to upgrade the country’s digital infrastructure using advanced fiber-optic technology.

Not China’s First 10G Launch Either

This is not the first instance of a 10G broadband launch in China. As early as September 15, 2023, China Telecom’s Guangdong branch, in collaboration with ZTE Corporation, successfully launched a 10G-to-the-enterprise application using 50G-PON technology. Furthermore, 10G broadband is also being deployed in major cities like Shanghai and provinces such as Guangdong, reinforcing the fact that China’s 10G efforts have been underway for some time.

10G Broadband and its Use Cases

The term 10G in broadband refers to data speed (10 gigabits per second), not the generation of technology, unlike mobile networks such as 5G or 6G. 10G broadband uses fiber-optic infrastructure, particularly 50G-PON (Passive Optical Network) technology, delivering ultra-fast wired internet speeds with extremely low latency. With download speeds of up to 9,834 Mbps and upload speeds of over 1,000 Mbps, a 20GB 4K movie can be downloaded in under 20 seconds. The network is designed for heavy data applications like remote surgery, AI-driven smart homes, real-time autonomous driving, smart agriculture, and telemedicine.

China’s Speed Far Ahead of India’s Broadband Infrastructure

Compared to China’s 10G rollout, India’s broadband infrastructure is still developing. Most broadband connections in India rely on FTTH, DSL, cable, or fixed wireless access (FWA) technologies. While providers like JioFiber and Airtel Xstream Fiber advertise 1 Gbps plans, actual speeds often fall short due to infrastructure limitations. As of March 2025, India’s average fixed broadband speed was 58.62 Mbps for download and 50.42 Mbps for upload, ranking 87th globally. In contrast, China's 10G network is nearly 100 times faster than India’s average real-world broadband speed.

1. China did not launch the world’s first 10G broadband; other countries like South Korea and Japan already have it.

2. The reported launch in Sunan County is incorrect; Xiong’an was the actual pilot site.

3. China began its national pilot project for 10G broadband in January 2025 across 168 regions.

4. The country’s first 10G-to-enterprise service was launched in September 2023 by ZTE and China Telecom.

5. 10G broadband refers to 10 gigabits per second wired internet, not related to mobile networks like 5G.

6. This technology supports high-end applications like remote surgery, AI homes, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles

7. China’s broadband speed is almost 100 times faster than India’s average broadband speed as of March 2025.