East China's Shandong province has made great strides in developing its digital infrastructure, which is expected to boost economic growth and accelerate the province's high-quality development, local media reported.

According to the Shandong Communication Administration, up to now, Shandong has 12 "gigabit" cities, which include Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai, and Zibo, ranking second in China.

As an important component and carrier base of new infrastructure, the "double-gigabit" networks are comprised of 5G and gigabit optical networks, have great potential to drive effective investment, promote information consumption and boost the development of the digital economy, according to industry experts.

Since 2021, Shandong has been ramping up efforts to advance its digital infrastructure, speed up digital transformation, and promote the development of the digital economy in an all-round way.

A total of 162,000 5G base stations and 999,000 10G PON ports have been built in the province, providing full double-gigabit network coverage in administrative areas at and above the county level, and continuous 5G network coverage in key scenes. The number of 5G phone users has reached 36.81 million, and the popularizing rate has exceeded 50 percent.

Moreover, 5G technologies have been applied to key sectors in the province for social and economic development. The technologies have been widely used in mines, factories, ports, hospitals, schools, grid networks and other facilities.