-- From the driverless taxis already plying Chinese roads to remotely controlled surgery robots aiding smaller hospitals, the 22nd China High-Tech Fair gives a panorama of the digital eco-system that is taking shape in China, a year after the country greenlighted the commercial use of 5G.
-- The take-off of 5G infrastructure in China, with nearly 700,000 5G base stations set up, has powered many new technological applications in both daily life and industrial scenarios.
-- Experts have predicted a deep "coupling" between 5G and other information technologies such as cloud computing, AI and blockchain as China enters the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
by Xinhua Writers Yao Yuan, Sun Fei, Yin Peng and Bai Yu
SHENZHEN, Nov. 13 -- In a 5G-powered near future, a normal day may be a completely different experience: you wake up to breakfast provided by smart kitchen appliances, you hail a driverless taxi to work, and on the way enjoy the radio broadcast, air-quality and news briefing sent by 5G street lamps.
You attend a virtual-reality conference, which connects you with other participants from across the globe. The designs and solutions you hammer out will be instantly transmitted to the factory's computer brain, which will automatically start production by the time you leave the meeting room.
At the hospital, the doctor remotely controlling the gastroscope machine may be on the other side of the Pacific, and a 3D printer will build a digital model of your mouth and teeth for future consultation.
All these imagined futuristic scenarios may soon be realized thanks to the rapid expansion of the superfast 5G network in China, as indicated by the 22nd China High-Tech Fair (CHTF) being held in Shenzhen, the southern tech hub in Guangdong Province.
From the driverless taxis already plying Chinese roads to remotely controlled surgery robots aiding smaller hospitals, the fair gives a panorama of the digital eco-system that is taking shape in China, a year after the country greenlighted the commercial use of 5G.
A staff member demonstrates a VR device supported by the 5G network at the booth of telecom giant China Mobile during the 22nd China Hi-Tech Fair in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 12, 2020. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)
NO LONGER REMOTE CONCEPTS
Promising faster connection speeds, wider broadband and lower latency, the 5G network is regarded as the "infrastructure" for a variety of next-generation digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and highly autonomous vehicles.
The latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) show that nearly 700,000 5G base stations have been set up in China. The take-off of 5G infrastructure has powered many new technological applications, said MIIT Vice-Minister Liu Liehong.
"5G technology is building the stage for self-driving vehicles. It is like an 'expressway' for data transmission," Liu Nianqiu, vice-president of DeepRoute.ai, said at the CHTF.
The tech start-up develops core algorithms and computing platforms for driverless cars that are running eight hours a day in an open-road test in Shenzhen's Nanshan District. Liu said autonomous driving relies on 5G to realize many of its functions, including interactions with traffic facilities and the remote monitoring of vehicles.
