At the 2024 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, Huawei unveiled a visionary plan that promises to reshape the future of global telecommunications. Huawei’s Vice President of Wireless Network Product Line and Chief Marketing Officer, Zhao Dong, introduced the ambitious AI Network Opening Plan. This initiative represents a transformative step forward in networking technology, integrating artificial intelligence to revolutionise how networks operate, manage, and evolve.

Understanding the AI Network Opening Plan

At its core, Huawei’s AI Network Opening Plan is designed to dramatically enhance network productivity. It aims to do this through a collaborative ecosystem involving global operators, fostering an environment of co-creation, co-existence, and co-growth. The plan will initially empower 1,000 site engineers to manage over 10,000 sites across five major cities: Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Bangkok, Jinan, and Shenzhen. This rollout marks just the beginning of a broader strategy to deploy intelligent, highly efficient wireless networks worldwide.

Advanced 5G:

5G-A, or Advanced 5G, is an evolution of the existing 5G technology, enriched with AI capabilities to address the increasing complexity and demands of modern networks. This enhanced version of 5G not only promises faster connectivity but also smarter network management solutions that adapt in real-time to changing conditions and user needs. Huawei’s strategy integrates these intelligent functionalities directly into the network’s fabric, ushering in what they refer to as the era of the “Intelligent Network.”

One of the standout features of Huawei’s plan is the world’s first intelligent assistant tailored for site engineers. This AI-driven tool leverages vast databases of professional knowledge and operational data to autonomously generate problem-solving strategies. Such innovation is not merely about incremental improvements but revolutionizing the efficiency with which network issues are diagnosed and resolved—increasing repair efficiency by up to tenfold.

Additionally, Huawei has developed capabilities for networks to autonomously optimise themselves. This involves multi-dimensional, high-precision, real-time perception of network performance, enabling the system to adjust and optimize both user experience and energy consumption without human intervention.

Business Transformation Through Intelligent Networking

The AI Network Opening Plan also introduces new paradigms in business operations for telecom operators. Real-time evaluation of network resources allows for the “zero-wait” activation of new services and a guaranteed quality of service. An ongoing pilot of the 5G-A super live package offers users definitive uplink experience rates, a crucial factor for modern applications like live streaming and large-scale interactive platforms.

Strategic Shift and Future Visions

In his address, Zhao Dong emphasized Huawei’s transition from a solution provider to a strategic partner in the creation of intelligent networks. By fostering a symbiotic relationship between intelligent entities and networks, Huawei aims to provide operators with expanded business opportunities and catalyze the intelligent transformation of network infrastructures.

Huawei’s announcement at MWC Shanghai 2024 marks a pivotal moment in telecommunications history. The AI Network Opening Plan is not just about enhancing network productivity; it’s about setting a new standard for the industry, promising a future where networks are not only faster but smarter, more responsive, and more integrated into our digital lives. As we step into this new era, the promise of an “intelligent world” seems closer than ever, with Huawei leading the charge in this bold, technological frontier.