Rolling out a new era

By Lin Luwen and Yin Lu in Shenzhen and Chengdu Source:Global Times Published: 2019/8/20 19:16:08

GT reporters visit two of China’s 5G experimental cities


Has the 5G generation arrived? Whether Huawei started the commercial 5G network era or not, there are still lingering questions about this next generation of mobile internet. 

The Huawei Mate 20X (5G), which was developed by Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, officially hit stores on Friday and marks itself one step closer to the nationwide commercialization of a 5G network.

Equipped with Huawei's self-developed Balong 5000 chipset, it is the only mobile phone in the world that supports both SA and NSA networks. Huawei Mate 20X (5G) has received more than 1 million preorders.

However, without a 5G network, 5G phones are nothing special under a 4G network. The Global Times reporters flew to two 5G experimental cities, Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province and Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province to find out everything you need to know about 5G and Huawei.

The maximum speed of 5G is 10 to 20 times faster than that of 4G. Under the speed test app, and using a Huawei Mate 20X (5G) on a 5G network, the phone showed that it can download at 1,090 Mbps and upload at 243 Mbps. The latency has dropped to under 200 milliseconds, which means people will not feel the latency, make clear video calls without delays, and download a movie in seconds.

Wide bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and wide coverage are the main characteristics of 5G. "3A (AAA-level quality digital art) video games, unmanned driving and industrial management are the main fields in which 5G can bring revolutionary changes," Zhao Zhiping, Huawei's 5G chief marketing officer said.

More than speed

Visitors can watch 4K livestreams by using 5G phones with ultra low latency. Photo: Lin Luwen/GT

 

"The upload speed is as fast as the hardware, such as SD Card. It's incredible," a 22-year-old sophomore surnamed He said. He is now studying at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. As a technical products test vlogger on social media, his videos about 5G smartphones went viral on the internet.

However, 5G doesn't only offer faster speeds, but also enables massive connections. In the 4G era, people could only watch videos, but when it comes to 5G, they have access to AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) tech gadgets.

"5G starts an era of AR and VR which used to just be a concept in the 4G era," Zhao said.

From phones to pandas, Huawei is also creating a 5G network to safely run a hyperconnected world beyond just your mobile phone. The virtual reality technology is now welcoming visitors to the Chengdu Giant Breeding Base. 

An 8K livestream of a giant Panda backed by a 5G network in the breeding base has fascinated tourists and brings a new way to watch the panda. As soon as the visitor moves, the video insight in the spectacles follows the panda's direction using moving headsets. 

Commuting with 5G

5G buses take trial runs in the Jinsha Bus Hub Station in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province. Photo: Lin Luwen/GT



The 5G network is going to accompany the daily commuters in Chengdu. 

A 5G tour bus is currently on trial in Chengdu on the 2nd ring road which is about a 30-kilometer drive and is fully covered by the largest standalone 5G network. 

"On the 5G bus, the moving 5G speed is still faster and stable which means the passengers are able to live-stream 4K and 8K videos and even play cloud 3A video games," He said.

A 5G network seems to bring a revolutionary change to the gaming industry, too. 

"Games can be played on the cloud, which means there is no need to upgrade anymore and people can play the games that previously required an extremely high-level of heat dissipation in the system," He said.

Remote healthcare

A doctor performs an ultrasound test on a patient using a 5G-powered robotic arm. Photo: Lin Luwen/GT

 

Backed by its advanced characteristics, 5G benefits the healthcare industry, as well. 

Recently, 5G technology is permeating through the medical field and is shedding a light on remote health care.

The 5G technologies have assisted in a successful earthquake medical rescue on June 20 to rescue the people injured at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. This was the world's first case of applying 5G technologies in a natural disaster medical rescue.

Meanwhile, at Chengdu's No.3 People's Hospital, its 5G network permits doctors to carry out an ultrasound test on patients in another city millions of kilometers away. For instance, 5G is essentially powering a robotic arm that can track the doctor's hand movements when they are operating a probe device and they say that the diagnosis is as accurate as doing it in person.

"5G real-time remote video consultation is available now, which solves the problem of the shortage of ultrasound doctors," Zhou Yang, deputy chief ultrasound physician at Chengdu No.3 People's Hospital said.

He told the Global Times that in the past, 4G speeds were not fast enough for such procedures. Now with 5G, the reaction speed is within a few milliseconds and the diagnosis is precise.

"The 5G network avoids buffering, shaking or vagueness during remote exams. And various fields are being explored in more than 30 cities across China," Zhou said.

"To change lives and societies, it will fundamentally support every aspect of our life. For those countries who embrace 5G, they could end up being leagues ahead. More so than countries who do not," Josh, a 34-year-old media worker said.

Posted in: METRO BEIJING,CULTURE,ENTERPRISE

blog comments powered by Disqus