This Day, That Year: June 5

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

On June 5, 1990, the first Postal and Telecommunication Expo China opened in Beijing, resulting in 70 companies from 13 countries and regions showcasing their latest telecom products, as seen in the item from China Daily.

Last year, more than 400 exhibitors from home and abroad gathered at the annual telecom exhibition.

Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the event has developed into a major fair in Asian telecommunications.

This year, the 28th PT Expo China will be held in the capital from Oct 31 to Nov 3.

The products showcased at the fair in recent decades indicate the dramatic change in the country's telecom sector thanks to rapid economic growth and technology development.

Easy access to the internet and the proliferation of mobile devices have changed the way we communicate.

The rapid growth of social-networking platforms has further allowed people to maintain closer ties with friends and family via text, audio or video.

To guarantee the large demand of data transmission, Chinese companies have ramped up efforts to develop the next generation of mobile communication technologies, such as the high-speed fifth-generation network.

The 5G technology will be able to transmit data more than 10 times faster than the current 4G system, and will take on tasks that are impossible in the 4G era, such as overseeing self-driving vehicles.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that China will soon issue licenses for the commercialization of 5G.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said 5G is entering a critical period of commercial deployment globally and China's 5G industry has established a competitive advantage through a combination of innovation and open cooperation.