China Telecom, Unicom Will Team Up to Build 5G Network

A sign of 5G is pictured at the booth of China Telecom during an internet expo at the fifth World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China, on Nov. 7, 2018. Jason Lee/Reuters

Two of China’s three largest state telecom companies, China Telecom and China Unicom, are working together to build a 5G mobile network in a cost-cutting venture that could crimp orders for vendors such as Huawei Technologies.

China Telecom said in August that it was ready to join rivals to build network for 5G, the fifth-generation cellular network technology that promises to support new features such as autonomous driving.