According to China Economic network mobile communication network is the solid base of China's information technology. At present, China's new mobile communication technology 5G-Advanced (5G evolution technology, hereinafter referred to as "5G-A") has been widely rolled out. At the same time, with the adoption of the world's first sixth-generation mobile communication technology (hereinafter referred to as "6G") scenario demand standard led by Chinese operators, a number of key 6G technologies are also entering the practice stage from the experimental stage.
So, how does the new mobile communication technology play a catalyst role in the process of industrial digitalization and intelligent transformation? Where are the key demand points for mobile communication in various industries?
New types of communication "shine" into reality
"The integration of new mobile communications with cloud computing, AI and other technologies has built a secure and efficient network to support the digital transformation needs of key industries." Ministry of Industry and Information Technology news propaganda center editor Wang Baoping told reporters.
Recently, "Securities Daily" reporter into Xinjiang Bayi Steel Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "Bayi Steel") production plant. Here, modern communication base stations have sprung up, and optical fibers have crossed the Gobi to realize the instantaneous transmission of information. This steel factory, which integrates traditional technology and modern technology, has become a typical representative of the rapid development of China's "5G+ industrial Internet".
It is understood that the Bayi steel production plant area is large, in complex environments such as high temperature and gas areas, a large number of equipment online at the same time, the network load is too high, coupled with various electromagnetic interference sources inside the factory, prone to network instability. To solve this problem, Xinjiang Mobile cooperated with Bayi Iron and Steel to add 26 5G macro stations and 40 small stations in the steelmaking and hot rolling workshops, achieving deep coverage of 5G network in these areas, and deploying 5G-A lightweight and 3CC (three-carrier aggregation) technology. With the support of this higher rate and larger bandwidth communication technology, the network becomes more stable and reliable, and the application of devices in complex environments becomes smoother.
Li Chuanyang, director of the number Intelligence Office of Bayi Iron and Steel, told reporters that the company will continue to explore application scenarios such as hot metal unmanned transportation and locomotive unmanned driving in the future, and gradually promote it in Urumqi and Ili and other places.
In Urumqi International Dry Port, "Securities Daily" reporter saw that Xinjiang Unicom through the 5G rail crane remote control application, the park digital twin upgrade and other means, to alleviate the original network and labor pressure, workers no longer need to frequently climb on the crane construction.
"Relying on the ultra-low transmission delay of 5G networks, the port will increase production efficiency by 30 percent while reducing labor costs by 70 percent." Wu Lei, senior manager of the scientific research and Technology Department of Xinjiang Maotong Intelligent Technology Co., LTD., said that the new generation of mobile communications will improve the transfer speed and process tracking accuracy of logistics hubs.
The open-pit mine of Yili Qinghua Energy Development Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "Qinghua Energy"), located in Yili, Xinjiang Province, has also given the new mobile communication technology a place to play. Relying on several 5G base stations built by China Telecom in the mining area, Qinghua Energy introduced unmanned driving and remote control, and the operator sat in an air-conditioned room 3 kilometers away from the mine, and could remotely control the mechanical equipment to complete the work, so as to achieve the full process management and autonomous operation of "mining, loading, transportation and soil discharge" of the mine stripping operation. Based on the 5G network, the company also introduced AR, digital twin and other technologies in the construction of the driverless base platform and the construction of the smart mine, which improved the operation efficiency of the equipment, the efficiency of point inspection, etc., and improved the working environment of workers and increased production.
Target the 6G joint assault
With the continuous development of the mobile communication industry, problems such as limited spectrum resources, technical challenges and high research and development costs have gradually surfaced.
"The transition from 5G to 6G commercial needs to further solve a number of key issues such as spectrum resource expansion, energy efficiency improvement, power consumption management of user devices, deepening application of network slicing, high-precision positioning services, non-terrestrial network integration, and full-duplex communication technology." This will require innovation and collaboration in multiple fields such as communication technology, materials science, and energy management." China Communications Industry Association vice president Han Juke told reporters.
It is understood that at present, a number of domestic communications, technology enterprises and scientific research institutions are working together to overcome these problems.
In the first half of this year, the three major operators have carried out 5G-A commercial deployment in more than 280 cities, launched nine applications such as low-altitude economy and smart energy, and jointly promoted cooperation with Huawei and ZTE in various fields such as 6G agent system innovation, standard formulation and industrial pilot application.
Many companies such as Tongyu Communication and Zhenyou Technology have mastered a number of core technologies in 6G and satellite communications. At the same time, the number of "players" in the 6G industry is also increasing. According to Tianyan data, only in the first nine months of 2024, 77,000 related enterprises in the 6G industry chain were added.
"Domestic enterprises are currently jointly tackling the reconstruction of network architecture in the 6G field, tapping potential of key applications, standardization of general computing integration, reducing power consumption, and how to support AI business." Liu Xingliang, a member of the Information and Communication Economy Expert Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told reporters that it can focus on industrial space in the fields of base station construction, command and dispatch systems, satellite navigation and communication, and Internet of Things modules.
5G is accelerating deep integration with various fields
From the start of 1G analog technology, after the rapid evolution of 2G digital technology, 3G and 4G, into 5G, 5G-A, after decades of development, each technology iteration of China's mobile communication industry is accompanied by A significant improvement in communication speed and quality. China has become the global leader and leader in mobile communication standards.
Only in terms of patents, according to the data of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at present, China's 5G standard necessary patent claims account for 42% of the world. Hu Jianbo, vice president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said that the number of leading projects and standard proposals in China's 5G-A international standard accounted for more than 30%.
In terms of 6G's strategic layout and technology research and development, China is also "running" at the forefront. According to the "Global 6G Technology Patent Layout Research Report", China's 6G patent applications accounted for about 40.3% of the world, ranking first.
From an iterative point of view, although 5G networks have been able to provide quite good speed and connection stability, they still have limitations in advanced applications in areas such as high speed and perception. The network capability of 5G-A can be improved by 5 to 10 times compared with 5G, achieving ultra-low latency at the millisecond level, etc., which can meet the driving needs of intelligent connected cars and applications such as nake-eye 3D. The ensuing 6G technology will further go beyond 5G-A, achieve ultra-high speed, near-real-time communication, etc., realize the deep combination of communication and perception, calculation, and control, and integrate with space networks such as satellites, high-altitude platforms, and unmanned aerial vehicles, so as to build an integrated communication network of "air, earth, and sea".
At present, China's mobile communication industry has entered the "golden 10 years" of rapid iterative development from 5G to 6G. Zhao Zhiguo, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, believes that the next five years will be the five years of in-depth integration of 5G with various fields of economy and society, and the key five years of 5G's evolution to 5G-A and then to 6G.
According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, 5G commercial use in the past five years has indirectly driven a total output of about 14 trillion yuan. 5G-A is expected to usher in a market size of trillions of yuan. By 2030, China's 6G market will reach 1.3 trillion yuan, becoming the world's largest 6G market.