Mobile users in China enjoy cheaper telecom costs than world's average

Young people take pictures with their cellphones in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, June 9, 2018. [Photo: CFP]

China's mobile users' monthly expenditure (花费 huāfèi) is lower than world's average (平均数 píngjūn shù) thanks to the country's robust telecom network infrastructure development, Liu Liehong, vice minister of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Monday.

The average monthly expenditure of a mobile user in China is $5.94, lower than the world's average of $11.36, Liu said at the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day conference in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province.

Liu also said the "digital gap" between cities and villages has been narrowed down (缩小 suōxiǎo) dramatically as over 99 percent of large-sized villages in China are equipped with 4G network which is as fast as that in the city.

He added China's mobile network speed (速度 sùdù) ranks fourth while broadband (宽带 kuāndài) speed ranks 16th globally.

China has led in 5G development with 819,0005G base stations (基站 jīzhàn) built so far, representing about 70 percent of the world's 5G base stations.

About 280 million mobile device users (用户 yònghù) have joined the 5G network, accounting for over 80 percent of the world's total.

The country's standard essential patent declarations for 5G accounts for 38 percent, the most in the world.

Key words 重点词汇:

花费

<名词 n.> expenditure; expense

E.g. Bìxū duì suǒyǒu huāfèi jìnxíng jìlù bìng cúndàng.

必须对所有花费进行记录并存档。

You must record and keep a file of all expenses.

<动词 v.> spend; expend; cost

E.g. Zhège xiàngmù huāfèi le yī dà bǐ qián.

这个项目花费了一大笔钱。

The project costs a shedload of money.