As a global pioneer in commercializing 5G-advanced, or 5G-A, technology which plays a key role in bridging 5G to 6G, China has already deployed such networks in over 300 cities, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The progress showcases China's first-mover advantage in defining the next-generation network, which is of crucial importance to the nation's industrial upgrade, experts said.

He Biao, general manager of China Mobile, said, the company "will trial 6G technologies on its 5G-A infrastructure, and promote the integrated research and development of the two".

As an important upgrade of 5G, 5G-A networks theoretically deliver tenfold improvements in peak data rates and connection density compared to 5G. It will also unlock a market connecting 100 billion internet of things devices, according to China Mobile.

More importantly, 5G-A base stations have integrated sensing and communication capabilities. They not only handle voice and data transmission, but can also function as distributed radar systems, enabling real-time detection of airborne objects within their coverage zones, China Mobile said, adding that it is testing such a system to facilitate the development of the low-altitude economy, such as drone delivery in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Data from the ministry shows that more than 30 provincial-level regions in China have launched 5G-A service packages, with subscribers surpassing 10 million.

Meanwhile, telecom operators in China, the Middle East and other regions are also introducing new initiatives to explore applications combining 5G-A and artificial intelligence.

According to Huawei Technologies Co, the convergence of 5G-A and AI is driving transformation.

In the industrial sector, 5G-A's ultra-low latency and high bandwidth are enabling precise perception and decision-making for robots. Real-time data processing via 5G-A supports closed-loop "sense-decide-act" operations, reducing high-risk work hazards while boosting efficiency and safety.

For robots to truly integrate into industrial production and everyday applications, low latency is the basic requirement, and collaborative decision-making is the key to commercial application, said Chang Lin, CEO of Leju Robot.

The synergy between 5G-A's wide coverage and AI route optimization is also enhancing efficiency and cutting costs. For instance, drone deliveries leveraging 5G-A achieve smarter path planning, significantly improving speed and reducing operational expenses, according to Huawei.

Wang Tao, executive director of Huawei, said commercially, experience-driven monetization is key to 5G-A's success. By translating network capabilities into premium user experiences — such as cloud gaming and multi-angle sports streaming — 5G-A enables innovative payment models. This "pay-for-experience" trend is reshaping consumption and unlocking new value.

But challenges still exist. Wu Hequan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that in recent years, emerging applications such as augmented reality and the low-altitude economy have created growing demand for high uplink bandwidth. However, current 5G networks face shortcomings in insufficient uplink speeds.

Downlink speed refers to the data transfer rate from network servers to local devices, while uplink speed measures data transmission from local devices to servers.

According to Wu, while China's mobile networks have achieved remarkable progress in downlink speeds — with 5G being seven times faster than 4G and 5G-A 10 times faster than 5G — the uplink speeds still significantly lag behind downlink performance.

Vivek Badrinath, director-general of GSMA, an industry group representing the world's largest mobile phone operators, said the past year has seen major strides in 5G and AI worldwide. Moving forward, GSMA will deepen collaboration with Chinese telecom carriers to seize 5G-A's opportunities in enhanced performance and system efficiency to scale AI in manufacturing, ports and beyond.

masi@chinadaily.com.cn