5G-A pilots gathering steam

Enhanced telecom tech performs better in capacity, speed, latency, and positioning

Several cities in China are exploring 5G-A network construction and application scenarios, unlocking vast opportunities for the technology's development as well as for the digital economy, experts and business executives said.

5G-A, or 5G-Advanced (also known as 5.5G by some manufacturers), represents an enhancement over 5G. It offers significant improvements in capacity, speed, latency and positioning. For example, 5G-A is 10 times faster than 5G in terms of internet speed.

Currently, Chinese telecom operators are conducting pilot deployments across several provinces. The Beijing unit of China Mobile has partnered with companies like ZTE and MediaTek to complete 5G-A network deployment in 18 densely populated areas of Beijing, with over 1,500 5G-A base stations now operational. China Unicom and China Telecom also have made such deployments, boosting the total number in the city to over 3,500.