China Unicom and Huawei have launched the world’s first large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network in Beijing. This deployment serves over 10 million people across various urban facilities including stadiums, schools, and commercial areas. It offers impressive advancements in speed, with capabilities reaching up to 10 Gbps, along with enhanced network capacity, spectral efficiency, and coverage.
The deployment is based on a three-component carrier (3CC) network. It covers major areas such as Beijing’s 4th Ring Road and the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center. A key feature, claimed by Huawei, is the integration of AI and machine learning. This allows end-to-end automation of network operations based on user data, optimizing provisioning, and services without manual intervention.
This automation drastically reduces service provisioning time. By implementing network self-provisioning and self-optimisation, China Unicom decreases time from days to mere minutes. However, these AI-driven functions require substantial computing power. Therefore, China Unicom provides the necessary infrastructure, ensuring AI workloads are efficiently handled at the network’s edge.
According to Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, “Large bandwidth can quickly improve user experience. Only by providing 10-gigabit network capabilities can we guarantee a gigabit experience for all users. This time, we’ve built a large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network to bring a better experience to all China Unicom users across Beijing. We are confident that, based on Huawei’s advanced technologies and our smart operations capabilities, we will provide users in Beijing with an increasingly better network experience in the future.”
Significant investments have also been made in deploying 5G-Advanced at iconic sites like the Workers’ Stadium and the Great Wall Scenic Area. The stadium supports a wide range of applications, including high-speed video streaming for large crowds and emerging technologies such as IoV and IoT. For the Great Wall Scenic Area, China Unicom collaborates with local authorities to enhance connectivity for tourists and boost regional services.
