A visitor gets a taste of virtual reality technology in Qidong. [Photo/WeChat account of Qidong Daily]

The first 5G base station in the city of Qidong in southeastern Jiangsu province started operating in  Lyusi town on Sept 23, an event which was also marked by the opening of the China Qidong Fishing and Farmers’ Harvest Festival.

Faster and more reliable than anything that has come before, 5G networks will enable people to communicate, be entertained online and shop at unprecedented speeds, said Zhang Junbo, a 5G network engineer working in Qidong.

He said it only takes seconds to download a movie using the 5G network, as is compared to five minutes using a 4G signal.

Officials said that for the first time locals have had a taste of virtual reality technology using 5G signals.

Local visitors were knocked out as they put on a pair of VR goggles to experience the latest that technology, via 5G, can offer.

 “It feels like I was actually there,” said one visitor, when asked how she felt wearing the VR kit. 

As 5G prevails, it will play a greater role in automatic driving, intelligent manufacturing and telemedicine, according to Cao Jinzhong, general manager of the Qidong branch of China Mobile.

He said that the urban areas of Qidong are expected to be covered by 5G signals by the first half of 2020, and the whole city will basically be covered by 5G by the end of 2020.