5G on the fast track after commercialization in China

The kick-off of China's 5G commercialization at the end of October brought more attention and discussions centered on this technology, which was also the focus of the first World 5G Convention in Beijing this week.

On Wednesday, around 1,500 international participants attended the opening ceremony of the convention and exchanged ideas on 5G innovation, security, and industry integration. 

Cai Qi, Party chief of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, delivered a welcoming speech on Wednesday, vowing to foster a new way of life based on such technology.

"The convention aims to build a platform to promote exchange, demonstration, and cooperation in 5G technology and benefit the entire world," he said.  

And Miao Wei, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology said that by the end of the year, China will have built 130,000 5G base stations and more efforts are being made.

During the convention, 5G applications and solutions from about 60 global companies were displayed.

Zhu Huimin, head of Marketing Operations of Huawei Wireless Network, said that after the 5G commercialization, AR, VR, and cloud-computing experience will be enhanced and there will be more applications.

"For example, there are smart mining, smart factory, and smart medical treatment. We have found relatively good solutions for these applications based on 5G technology and provided relevant services to these vertical industries," she said.

And deeper integration is being made among 5G and other technologies and industries. An official from the Global System of Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) is optimistic about the development.

"In healthcare, we're seeing telemedicine, remote 5G robotic surgery, and the use of holograms to visit the elderly, distant and housebound patients. 5G is also transforming manufacturing and transportation," said Sihan Bo Chen, head of Greater China, GSMA.

Many companies found opportunities.

Dr. Bowen Zhou, vice president of JD GROUP, said the company is developing Artificial intelligence in e-commerce and logistics.

"When 5G is combined with Artificial intelligence, great efficiency improvement is seen in the retail industry. This includes a completely intelligent supply chain and smarter consumption experience," he said.

And there are still many challenges. The biggest concern is the security issues caused by big data flow due to 5G's broadband, ultra-high speed, and multiple connections. 

Qi Xiangdong, a chief web-security expert said that the security system for the 5G era should be called a membrane able to filter five things: the network, identity, applications, big data, and behavior.

After the commercialization of 5G, more attention will be paid to this area and the regulation of more applications, according to him.