The world’s 5G networks are progressing steadily. By the end of September 2023, 300 telecommunications operators in 114 countries and regions had launched commercial 5G networks based on 3GPP standards. 290 telecommunications operators in 113 countries and regions had launched or soft-launched 5G mobile services. As of the third quarter of 2023, the total number of 5G base stations deployed worldwide exceeded 4.81 million, an increase of 330,000 stations in a quarter and a cumulative increase of 1.17 million stations in the year. This represents a year-on-year increase of 56.17% and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 7.3%. At the same time, driven by new technologies and business scenarios, the boundaries of wireless communication are continuously expanding. The development of 5G is accelerating towards a new stage, 5G-Advanced, as an intermediate stage in the evolution to 6G. 5G-Advanced is not only the foundation for 5G application development in the next decade, but also the key to shaping the future digital society.
ZTE is expanding and evolving the technical capabilities of 5G-Advanced based on six major scenarios: seamless 10Gbps+, massive IoT, deterministic capabilities, integrated sensing and communication, ubiquitous connectivity, and universal intelligence (Figure 1). We aim to deliver value in three major areas of 5G-Advanced: B2C (consumer-oriented) connects the virtual and real worlds and realizes smart digital life; B2B (business-oriented) builds smart digital industries and penetrates the production domain; and B2X (society-oriented) empowers smart digital society and expands the new economy of connected vehicles and low-altitude satellites. Based on these six scenarios, we analyze the capabilities and values of 5G-Advanced and present ZTE’s accumulated expertise and practice in each scenario.
Seamless 10 Gbps+: Ubiquitous bandwidth, enhanced experiences, expanded scenarios
Networks are the foundation of all applications. With new business forms such as autostereoscopy, cloud computing, XR metaverse, ultra-high definition live streaming, and 5G machine vision, the 5G experience is evolving from Gbps+ to 10Gbps+. ZTE is the first in the industry to achieve medium frequency evolution from 64TR to 128TR, doubling the 5G network capacity. With FR2 products based on the industry’s largest 1.6GHz bandwidth, ZTE achieves ultra-capacity of 28Gbps. Combined with the industry’s first dynamically reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) base station collaboration, the coverage of the base station is improved by more than 30%, supporting ubiquitous and wideband experiences.
Seamless 10Gbps+ network infrastructure has given rise to diverse 5G-Advanced application scenarios. In Shanghai, the “5G vehicle ground system” with on-board small cells and 10Gbps+ wireless backhaul achieved the world’s first launch with a backhaul capacity of up to 15Gbps downstream and 2Gbps upstream, providing passengers with stable 5G connection and high-speed experience anytime and anywhere. The industry’s first 5G-Advanced ship ground backhaul system realized 10Gbps+ cruise ship, reaching a peak downlink speed of more than 11Gbps with a single terminal, and in Hangzhou, it can support hundreds of anchors simultaneously for ultra-high resolution live streaming. In the production and broadcasting technology exhibition area of China Media Group at Hangzhou International Expo Center, the 5G-Advanced integrated computing network CampSite solution with simplified architecture and flexible deployment achieved a measured upstream speed of more than 2Gbps, a downstream speed of more than 10Gbps, and a network transmission delay of less than 4ms. This supports the rapid deployment of ultra-high definition shallow compression, virtual and real-time video production and broadcasting. The 5G-Advanced 10Gbps+ network can also support dozens of simultaneous XR services without the need for backpacks, empowering new industries such as smart game viewing, cultural tourism and immersive gaming experiences.
Large-Scale IoT: Seamless connectivity across high-, medium-, and low-speed scenarios
The Internet of Things (IoT) requires seamless interconnection between various IoT technologies to meet the needs of industry-wide digital transformation. The industry has essentially formed a coordinated development pattern of NB-IoT, 4G and 5G networks. In the early stage, the high cost of 5G modules and terminals restricted the large-scale deployment of 5G applications to a certain extent. To address this challenge, 5G-Advanced introduces lightweight 5G IoT function reduction (RedCap), which reduces the cost and power of terminals through function trimming, thus strengthening the foundation of IoT networks. ZTE is committed to promoting the commercial deployment of RedCap, accelerating its application, and working with carriers for widespread deployment.
Deterministic capabilities: Bounded latency accelerates 5G penetration into core production areas
The digital transformation of vertical industries enabled by 5G has achieved great results and is entering a critical period of large-scale replication in the application management area. The next step is further development and penetration into the core production area. Deterministic capability is the main challenge, which ZTE addresses by providing extreme determinism with 4ms low latency and µs-level ultra-low jitter with 99.999% reliability. It also provides uplink capacity of more than gigabits per second. ZTE realizes the integration of communication and computing through the base station computing engine NodeEngine and communication computing integrated UniEngine, creating a full-stack 5G industrial field network solution. This allows for the flexible deployment of cloud-based programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other production line-level applications, supporting the deep integration of 5G into core industrial production processes. At present, the deterministic capability of 5G has been verified in various scenarios, such as promoting the transformation and upgrading of steelmaking, manufacturing, and intelligent production.
Integrated Sensing and Communications: Paving the Way for New Business Opportunities
5G-Advanced breaks the limitations of communication and enhances sensing capabilities by making the sensing range of a single station exceed 1 km and the sensing accuracy reach a level of less than 1 meter. Based on the integrated capabilities of communication, sensing and computing power, 5G-Advanced will empower new digital socio-economy such as vehicle-road cooperation and low-altitude services.
ZTE continues to take the lead in communication and sensing integration testing and exploration in various scenarios. The company has achieved several industry firsts, including the first integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) network test, which achieved the communication and sensing integration of a single AAU for the first time and verified the sensing capabilities from a single site to a multi-site network. In V2X scenarios, ZTE completed the industry’s first 5G-based communication, sensing, and computing-in-one V2X architecture test in Zhuhai. The test enabled real-time warning of blind spots throughout the entire Uu interface. In addition, it built the industry’s first 5G ultra-stable network in Suzhou, supporting the construction of a 5G vehicle, road, and cloud integrated autonomous driving technology experience route. In low-altitude scenarios, ZTE completed the industry’s first “5G-based communication, sensing, computing, and control integration” low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle route test in Shenzhen. It also realized the application test of low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle management based on communication and sensing integrated AAU in the Athletes’ Village of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Ubiquitous connectivity: Integrating satellite and terrestrial networks to deliver true connectivity everywhere
Ubiquitous connectivity, a key goal of 5G-Advanced, will be achieved by an innovative satellite communications technology: Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN). Leveraging satellite coverage, NTN will integrate with mobile communications standards for connectivity across air, space, sea and land. This will enable smartphones and IoT devices to connect directly to satellites, supporting applications such as emergency communications and wide-area IoT, ushering in the era of “consumer-grade” satellite communications.
ZTE has worked with industry partners to successfully carry out technical tests and commercial applications, including China’s first field test of a 5G NTN mobile phone directly connected to a satellite, China’s first laboratory test of NR-NTN low-orbit satellite broadband service, and the first 5G NTN test in marine areas. Real-time service tests in marine and deserted island scenarios have been completed, covering aspects such as water quality monitoring, temperature and humidity monitoring, and emergency rescue. These achievements have laid a solid foundation for the commercialization of 5G NTN.
Universal Intelligence: Comprehensive smart solutions that enhance the integration of quality, efficiency and innovation
Universal intelligence has become a key core capability in the new stage of 5G-Advanced. It supports autonomous networks (improving O&M efficiency), promotes green development (intelligent energy saving), and facilitates business intelligence operations (stimulating B2C traffic and ensuring B2B determinism). ZTE realizes inherent intelligence for wireless networks in a single domain through an end-to-end intelligent architecture, including the physical network layer, intelligent service layer and scenario application layer, which enables operators and partners to support cross-domain closed loop, collaboration and orchestration. By combining intent-driven, foundational model, digital twin and other advanced technologies, ZTE realizes intelligent management and empowerment throughout the entire lifecycle of wireless networks and all-scenario services.
ZTE continues to advance its intelligence efforts by pioneering the DeepEdge solution. This innovative solution leverages the inherent intelligence of base stations to enable precise identification and differentiated assurance of more than 16,000 service types. This dual enhancement significantly improves user awareness and cell traffic. ZTE also successfully implemented the industry’s first high-speed rail precision planning innovation solution based on digital twin in Tianjin, supporting more accurate visual network planning through high-precision twin modeling and promoting engineering optimization in the planning stage. At the 2023 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, ZTE adopted AI-based model assurance assistant for on-site assurance, achieving a five-fold efficiency improvement compared with traditional methods.
5G-Advanced will build on current 5G achievements as a key stage in the evolution from 5G to 6G. Focusing on six key scenarios, including seamless 10Gbps and above, massive IoT, deterministic capabilities, integrated sensing and communication, ubiquitous connectivity, and universal intelligence, 5G-Advanced will continuously enhance capabilities, explore new business opportunities, and expand its reach. These six scenarios will also seamlessly transition to subsequent 6G networks, laying a solid foundation for the evolution to 6G and conducting innovative experiments.
