5G-A is essential for mobile AI future, says Huawei exec

5G-Advanced hit major commercial milestones in 2024 and is proving crucial for mobile AI rollout by providing the necessary infrastructure for high-speed data transfer, Huawei's 5G-A chief told Telecoms.com in Istanbul last week.

"We've achieved three key milestones this year: standardized protocols, widespread device compatibility, and equipment readiness," said Fang Kunpeng, president of Huawei's Wireless Product line 5.5G Domain, citing the recent finalization of R18 standards.

The timing of these achievements comes as mobile AI applications like lifelike AI agents and self-driving vehicles continue to grow in sophistication. Yet, today's 4G and 5G networks simply can't handle what these new AI services need to work properly.

"You have to deliver in your network at least 20Mbps in uplink, and 40ms latency, in order to achieve human-like AI agent interaction," said Fang. That’s where 5G-A comes into play — it’s the only type of network that can provide the lightning-fast speeds and low latency necessary for these applications to work effectively.

So, how is Huawei tackling this challenge? Fang noted that the tech giant has invested years in developing key technologies vital for the 5G-A rollout. This time Huawei launched 5G-A^A 10 solutions to build multidimensional ultimate network capabilities, which is industry's first batch of 5G-A full-scenario and full-series solutions. At the site level, Huawei provides a full series of products, covering all scenarios from sub-6GHz to mmWave, improving outdoor and indoor capabilities by 10 times. In addition, Huawei iHashBand 2.0 reconstructs the multi-band serving cell (MBSC) to virtual large bandwidths, improving spectrum utilization by 40% and achieving 10 Gbit/s by flexible combination. Flexible Spectrum Access (FSA) enables flexible access of all frequency bands in the uplink, improving the uplink spectrum utilization by 40% and reaching Gbit/s in the uplink.

On top of that, their latest flagship U6G equipment is a powerhouse, able to handle way more data at once, which is exactly what’s needed for AI applications and self-driving vehicles.

Fang expressed optimism that the combination of 5G-A and AI will open up new economic opportunities. He predicted, for example, that 5G-A will facilitate the widespread deployment of autonomous vehicles.

"The future of autonomous driving looks incredibly promising thanks to 5G-A," said Fang, explaining that 5G-A networks will enhance self-driving cars by connecting cars to powerful, intelligent cloud networks in real time. This integration will allow the vehicle's onboard AI to work together with the cloud's processing power. "This combination will help vehicles handle a much wider range of road conditions and deliver safer, more responsive autonomous driving."

The combination of 5G-A and AI will also transform how telecom operators manage their networks. "For operators managing multiple generations of networks — from 4G to 5G and now 5G-A — AI tools are becoming essential," said Fang. He explained that Huawei has developed a range of AI-powered solutions and automation to help operators boost efficiency.

"For example, we can assist maintenance engineers through AI chatbots to help them troubleshoot problems faster," Fang continued. "The system can automatically interpret technical commands and guide engineers through complex processes, making networks more reliable and service delivery more consistent."

Fang also expressed confidence that 5G-A networks will enable operators to discover new use cases and revenue streams, with particularly promising applications in industrial settings.

"5G-A networks open up exciting possibilities for industrial applications, especially in digital twin technology," he noted. "With passive IoT technique in 5G-A networks, you can collect comprehensive data from IoT sensors, enabling more efficient testing and optimization in virtual environments before physical implementation. This capability significantly enhances production efficiency and cost-effectiveness in large-scale industrial operations."

However, cooperation is essential to realize these benefits. Fang stressed that successful 5G-A deployment will require collaboration between equipment vendors, carriers, and AI companies to develop new applications and business models.

"We need everyone to take a win-win mindset," he said. "Only in this way can we further expand the market space for the combination of 5G-A and AI technologies."