Beijing, Jun 6 (IANS): China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Thursday granted 5G licenses for commercial use, marking the beginning of a new era in the country's telecommunication industry.

China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Broadcasting Network are the first batch of companies that obtained the licenses, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 5G technology will establish a high-speed, mobile, safe and widespread new-generation information infrastructure, MIIT Minister Miao Wei said at the license presentation ceremony.

The 5G technology is expected to bring new opportunities and buoy the growth of China's digital economy, Miao said, adding that it will accelerate the digital transformation of many industries, and will be more intensively used in sectors such as Industrial Internet and Internet of Vehicle.

The technology is expected to generate 10.6 trillion yuan ($1 trillion) worth of economic output and over 3 million jobs between 2020 and 2025, according to a research report by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.