BEIJING - Leading telecom operator China Unicom said Sunday that it will work with China Telecom to finish construction on 250,000 5G base stations across the country by the end of the third quarter.

The deadline came earlier than its previous plan to finish such construction by the year-end, according to information disclosed on the company's website.

In the first half of the year, the two operators seek to build 100,000 5G base stations in 47 prefectures and cities.

As the outbreak of the novel coronavirus took a hit on economic activities, China Telecom said it will push work resumption on 5G network infrastructure to mitigate the impacts.

As of Feb 20, China Unicom had launched 64,000 5G base stations.

China greenlighted the commercial use of the superfast wireless technology in June last year, triggering a surge in consumer enthusiasm and an acceleration in industrial investment.