BEIJING -- The number of 5G base stations in China now exceeds 4.1 million, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed Friday.

Currently, 5G technologies have been applied in 80 major sectors of the national economy, and the 5G network is covering more rural areas, according to the ministry.

Action will be taken to promote large-scale application of 5G technologies and to boost technological research and development as well as standard formulation, the ministry said.

Efforts will also be made to foster collaboration among telecom providers, application developers, and the companies across the industrial chain to build a robust 5G ecosystem.

In line with these efforts, an action plan issued last month sets a target to achieve a 5G user penetration rate of more than 85 percent by the end of 2027.