(ECNS) -- Ultrafast 5G communication networks are getting a test-run prior to an eventual market rollout, and experts believe the short-video industry is on the verge of massive growth as a result.
As early as the second half of 2019, 5G technology will be applied to terminal devices in China, leading to the primary commercialization of the technology in the near future, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The industry, which started in 2014, is expected to reach a market scale of 35 billion yuan ($5.5 billion) by 2020, according to a report released by the National Copyright Administration.
Compared to the 4G era, the next-generation networks will bring about greater changes, such as super-fast download speeds, higher quality video streaming, and much better performance of the Internet of Things and autonomous vehicles.
Cui Song, CEO of photography and video app Meishe, said technologies like augmented reality, face recognition and human motion capture will be effectively applied in the 5G era to lead to the rapid development of the short-video industry.
He said video production will become a major source of income for more and more content solution providers and the market need for video editing will see an explosive rise.
Yang Xiang, secretary general of the photo and video committee at the China Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, said 5G will usher in a new age for information communication in the form of video.
Wang Pu, founder of Allpku Management Consulting Group, said progress in underlying technology like 5G will make short-video a part of life and a major form of consumption.
The short-video industry recorded dramatic growth with users reaching 410 million in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 115 percent, the report said.
