China plans to invest 1.4 billion yuan ($169 million) in setting up an IPv6 backbone network to connect major cities before the end of 2005.The plan is part of the government’s efforts to start operations of the IP network in 2006. It will be the world's largest IPv6 network for commercial use by that time.

The first IPv6 commercial network in China is set to start operation in May, with China Telecom, China Unicom, China Netcom, China Mobile, and China TieTong, participating in the construction of the network. Some domestic analysts forecast that the Chinese telecom carriers would totally spend about 15 billion yuan ($1.8 billion) in buying IPv6 routers in the next five years.

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