Photo taken on March 30, 2018 shows the Potala Palace after a snowfall in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Chogo)

LHASA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese telecom giant China Mobile launched the first 5G base station in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, laying the foundation for launching large-scale network tests in the southwestern region.

Outdoor terminal tests showed the base station can offer an average Internet speed of some 500 Mbps and a 1GB file can be downloaded in only two seconds, said China Mobile's Tibet branch on Friday.

China Mobile has two additional 5G base stations in Lhasa that are yet to be launched for tests, said Nyima Dondrup, manager of the network department of China Mobile's branch in Lhasa.

The staff are busy conducting 5G application tests and will later apply the 5G technology to smart city construction and digital life, said Nyima Dondrup.

The company will accelerate network construction in Tibet, allowing people in remote areas to enjoy the same modern information and communication services as those in the developed regions, he said.

The Internet is rapidly entering the lives of Tibetans. By 2018, mobile broadband (including 3G and 4G) users in Tibet amounted to 2.76 million households, with the local mobile broadband penetration rate at 83.35 percent, according to the communication administration of Tibet.

Chinese cities are adopting the 5G network to meet public demand.

In late January, the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in southern China's Guangdong Province launched a 5G base station. An indoor 5G network will be installed in the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station by the end of this year. Enditem