At Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2025, Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, delivered a speech titled “Are We Ready for AI?” and jointly released Smart Operation Network 2.0 with Huawei at the 5G-A Industry Roundtable. The speech highlighted the unprecedented growth of data driven by artificial intelligence (AI), which is making communications networks smarter and more automated. China Unicom Beijing will work with Huawei to upgrade 5G-A network infrastructure, push network evolution from “connection pipes” to “intelligent platforms,” and converge ICT innovations.
In the mobile AI era, innovative applications like human-level interactions, autonomous driving, and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) are flourishing. This has resulted in explosive traffic growth and the need for higher uplink speeds. For example, cloud-based AI training and high-definition (HD) video upload typically require an uplink bandwidth of more than 20 Mbps. Live-network traffic is expected to surge to five times the current level. Then, China Unicom Beijing’s networks will face uplink bottlenecks if only mid-band resources are used, which will compromise AI service user experience. A professional data model by China Unicom Beijing and Huawei predicts that 2029 will be the tipping point.
Yang stated: “Future networks will feature space-air-ground and spectrum coordination, and their O&M will be dynamic and automated with the help of AI agents. Instead of passively reacting, operators should proactively embrace cutting-edge technology to make communications networks truly intelligent.”
David Li, Vice President of Huawei Wireless Network Product Line, remarked: “In order to explore new connection spaces, and unlock new business value, 5G-A networks should fulfill the diverse needs of different applications, user groups, and services. Prioritizing experience-centered networks, we will continue to enable technological innovations in high uplink, low latency, and smart operations to facilitate the implementation of China Unicom Beijing’s space-air-ground integrated smart network strategy, with the aim of delivering more-than-fast experiences to users in Beijing.”
MWC Shanghai 2025 will be held from June 18 to June 20 in Shanghai, China. During the event, Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions in Hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).
The commercial adoption of 5G-Advanced is accelerating in 2025. Huawei collaborates with global carriers, industry experts, and opinion leaders to explore how innovations in AI can be used to reshape telecom services, infrastructure, and operations to generate new revenue sources and accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.
For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwcs2025