In a major milestone for the global 5G landscape, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have launched the world’s first large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network, marking a new era of connectivity in the capital city. This breakthrough development is part of the “5G Capital on the Way – Lighting Up Beijing with 5G-Advanced” initiative, showcasing the potential of 5G-Advanced to support a wide range of applications from ultra-fast mobile broadband to smart city solutions.
The 5G-Advanced network is designed to provide unprecedented performance, reliability, and user experience, setting new benchmarks for the telecommunications industry. With its successful deployment in high-demand urban areas like the Workers’ Stadium, as well as the iconic Great Wall scenic area, this network is poised to redefine connectivity, laying the foundation for future developments in IoT, immersive media, and low-altitude aerial economy.
The newly deployed 5G-Advanced network covers a vast area of Beijing, offering full 5G coverage and 85% 5G-Advanced coverage within the city’s 4th Ring Road and the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center. With this expansion, over 10 million people in Beijing now have access to a super-fast, high-capacity network capable of supporting high-bandwidth services such as immersive video, cloud gaming, and ultra-HD live streaming.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the network is its scale and coverage. China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have integrated a 3CC (three-component carrier) network, combining low and high-frequency spectrums to deliver seamless connectivity across diverse environments. Whether in stadiums, metro stations, schools, residential areas, or commercial districts, the network ensures that Beijing residents and visitors experience faster speeds and enhanced network performance across a wide variety of use cases.
One of the standout features of this network deployment is its integration at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, a venue known for hosting large-scale sports events and concerts. Here, the 5G-Advanced network is capable of handling massive user demand, supporting up to 68,000 people simultaneously streaming 1080p videos, without interruption. In real-world tests, the network achieved an impressive downlink peak rate of 11.2 Gbps, while the uplink reached 4 Gbps, allowing for ultra-fast uploads and downloads in a crowded public setting.
In addition to providing superior internet speeds for event-goers, the network also empowers new technologies and services, including real-time interactive gaming, AR/VR experiences, and live-streamed broadcasts. By enabling such immersive experiences, the deployment of the 5G-Advanced network at the Workers’ Stadium showcases the potential of 5G in revolutionizing the way people engage with events and entertainment.
In a pioneering move, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have also launched a 10-gigabit 5G-Advanced network at the Great Wall scenic area in Yanqing District, expanding the potential for low-altitude economic activities. The deployment covers both ground-based and low-altitude airspace (below 300 meters), integrating air-ground communications for seamless connectivity across this unique environment.
This network will drive the development of a “low-altitude economy” by enabling a range of new applications, including drone-based logistics, remote aerial tourism, and high-altitude environmental monitoring. The Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage site, becomes a testing ground for low-altitude operational scenarios in sectors like tourism, logistics, emergency rescue, and scenic area protection. These innovations promise to boost safety, enhance operational efficiency, and create new economic opportunities for the region.
An additional highlight of this project is the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) for network optimization. China Unicom Beijing has implemented an end-to-end self-provisioning system for 5G-Advanced sites, significantly reducing the time and effort required for new site deployments. By automating the provisioning process, China Unicom Beijing ensures that 5G-Advanced infrastructure can be rapidly scaled, providing seamless service to users without the need for manual intervention.
Furthermore, the company has introduced AI-powered network optimization, which uses real-time user data to improve the performance of 5G-Advanced base stations. This continuous optimization process ensures that the network is always operating at peak efficiency, even as demand fluctuates across different locations and times of day.
The successful deployment of this world-first integrated 5G-Advanced network in Beijing signals a new era in the evolution of mobile connectivity. As the first city to roll out a large-scale, fully integrated 5G-Advanced network, Beijing is now home to one of the world’s most advanced digital ecosystems. The combination of cutting-edge AI, automated network management, and innovative applications is setting a global benchmark for future 5G-Advanced developments in other cities around the world.
Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, stated, “By providing a 10-gigabit network, we can guarantee a superior experience for all users. This large-scale deployment of 5G-Advanced is an important step towards providing faster, more reliable connectivity across Beijing, and will lay the foundation for even more innovative services in the future.” Li Jie, President of Huawei’s 5G<E TDD Domain, added, “Huawei is proud to support China Unicom Beijing in maintaining its leadership in 5G-Advanced network construction. Together, we will continue to innovate and deliver high-quality 5G-Advanced solutions that enable smart cities, AI-driven applications, and next-generation mobile networks.”
As China Unicom Beijing and Huawei continue to refine and expand their 5G-Advanced network, the city is well on its way to becoming a global leader in digital infrastructure. With the rapid advancement of 5G technology, Beijing is poised to unlock new opportunities across multiple industries, from autonomous transportation and smart cities to entertainment, healthcare, and beyond. By building a robust 5G-Advanced ecosystem, Beijing is setting the stage for a future where connectivity, innovation, and economic growth go hand in hand.
