Huawei's Guo Ping: Synergy Across Five Major Tech Domains to Make Shenzhen a Global Digital Showcase City

SHENZHEN - At the"Lighting Up Shenzhen, a 5G-powered Smart City" press conference, Huawei Rotating Chairman Guo Ping gave a keynote speech on the company's plans for this southern Chinese city. During his keynote, Guo explained how Huawei intends to work with carriers and other partners on industry applications, leveraging the strengths of five major tech domains to build all-scenario intelligent solutions for Shenzhen to make it the world's digital showcase city, according to the official website of Huawei.

Helping turn Shenzhen into the world's digital showcase city

As of today, 92 carriers around the world have already deployed commercial 5G networks, and there are over 100 million 5G users worldwide. Guo Ping said, "As the first phase of global 5G deployment begins to wrap up, we need to strengthen our focus on industry applications. This will help us unleash the full potential of 5G and achieve business success with 5G."

The 3GPP Release 16 (R16) specification was frozen officially in early 2020, further promoting the development of 5G-powered industry applications. 5G's commercial success will rely on the synergy between five major tech domains: connectivity, cloud, computing, industry applications, and pervasive AI. Together, these technologies are crucial for unleashing the full potential of 5G, helping build smart cities, and further stimulating the digital economy.

Huawei announced it would fully leverage its strengths in connectivity and computing, and work with carriers and other partners on scenario-based solutions. It plans to integrate these five major tech domains to help turn Shenzhen into the world's digital showcase city.

Objectives for 5G-powered smart cities: booming industry, happy people, and better governance

An operation and management network that "can see and think, and is easy-to-use" is foundational for smart city operations. This requires systems that support more scenario-based services and more intelligent decision-making and command. Such systems require three key elements.

First, a 5G-based intelligent network that supports real-time sensing and feedback of data generated at the city's most basic ground-level units.

Second, the integration of vertical data systems from different industries and government agencies, to create a single network for extensive data interconnection and unified municipal management.

Third, AI-enabled data and applications that will turn municipal knowledge into capabilities, give government agencies more access to AI-enabled business processes, and ultimately enhance intelligent experiences and build a truly 5G-powered smart city.

Guo Ping stressed, creating a digital showcase city is intended to show the world how to deliver superior services to local enterprises and residents. This provides more development opportunities to all the residents of the city by strengthening industry, increasing quality of life and a sense of accomplishment, and supporting more effective governance.

The integration of 5G, cloud, computing, AI, and industry applications will set off a chain reaction, providing industry with all-scenario intelligence. Examples of how these technologies can be used are already seen in smart grids, smart ports, smart airports, and smart factories. They will also support the development of 5G-powered smart cities that aim for booming industry, happy people, and better governance.

Supporting an all-scenario smart city with "future-proof networks"

4G enabled consumer Internet, but the major five tech domains Guo referenced will require both consumer Internet and industrial Internet to deliver more benefits for the digital economy. This will change what we require from ICT infrastructure, pushing away from networks that strive to do everything towards networks with assured network performance indicators, for example, latency, speeds, and reliability.

These new networks will be more future-proof to support industry digital transformation and the creation of all-scenario smart cities.

Guo Ping said that Huawei's ten-plus years of service experience have allowed the company to build an open platform of cloud, computing, pipes, and devices that can act as "fertile soil". Independent software vendors, system integrators, and cloud ecosystem partners can grow scenario-based solutions on this "soil" and address complex industry requirements.

In addition, Huawei plans to continue using its OpenLabs to pass on new capabilities to its partners, so that they can collaborate and grow together, serve customers more deeply, and accelerate industry digital transformation.

For Shenzhen, Huawei is committed to working with local customers and other partners to explore new opportunities that will help transform Shenzhen from a city with 5G connectivity to a city of 5G intelligence. This will make Shenzhen the world's digital showcase city.