At MWC 2024 Huawei redefines connectivity with 5.5G advancements

Shanghai: Li Peng, Huawei’s Corporate Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, delivered a keynote focusing on maximizing the value of 5.5G for carriers. He highlighted the industry’s readiness for large-scale commercial use of 5.5G through years of concerted effort in network, service, and business ecosystem preparation.

According to Li, business model innovation and capability integration are critical for carriers to achieve optimal return on investment in 5.5G. He emphasized the arrival of the mobile AI era, urging carriers to integrate network, cloud, and AI capabilities to offer differentiated connected experiences. This shift, Li argued, moves beyond traditional traffic monetization to monetizing the user experience itself, thereby driving industry development.

Drawing a parallel with the aviation industry’s evolution, Li underscored the importance of high-quality supply in stimulating new demand. He highlighted the need for the mobile communications industry to integrate advanced technologies as it transitions to 5.5G, aiming to meet new and latent user demands and accelerate industry growth.

Regarding network capabilities, Li pointed out that 5.5G enhances bandwidth by a factor of 10, enabling carriers to guarantee a reliable connected experience with features like wireless QCI-based scheduling and guaranteed bit rate (GBR). This allows for tailored packages and personalized services that cater to diverse user needs, boosting revenue and loyalty among high-end customers.

Li also discussed the transformative potential of cloud phones powered by 5G networks. He cited examples such as China Mobile Zhejiang’s cloud phone packages, which integrate computing, network, and cloud capabilities to offer on-demand streaming and member privileges, thereby achieving multi-factor monetization.

In terms of industrial applications, Li highlighted how 5.5G’s capabilities, including enhanced uplink and downlink speeds, lower latency, and deterministic networking, can upgrade existing private networks and support sectors like transportation with high-precision positioning and AI-powered applications for intelligent operations and maintenance.

Looking ahead, Li noted that 2024 will mark the commercial launch of 5.5G, with advancements already underway towards F5.5G and gigabit optical networks. He emphasized the synergy across networks, cloud, and intelligence, which is expected to diversify user experiences and drive widespread adoption of intelligent applications.

In conclusion, Li’s keynote outlined Huawei’s strategic vision for 5.5G, focusing on innovation, integration, and industry leadership to harness the full potential of next-generation telecommunications technologies.