Using AI to expand connections above and below the ground

Speed test of 5G-A 300 MHz network of Beijing Unicom in the platform and carriage of Beijing Metro Line 3

In late 2024, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei partnered to bring 5G-A connections to the central and outer districts of Beijing. Below ground, on Line 3 of the Beijing Subway, they launched the world's first commercial 300 MHz 5G-A network. Above ground, on the popular tourist sections of the Great Wall, they introduced the industry's first 5G-A 10 Gbps integrated network. The ultra-large-scale network covers more than 10 million people.

The ultra-large-scale commercial 5G-A network lights up Beijing

From China Unicom’s perspective, 5G-A addresses network coverage problems that have long plagued Beijing's dense urban core. It combines high- and low-band networking to improve coverage in areas with heavy mobile data traffic, such as stadiums, tourist attractions, subway lines, and business districts.

One-to-one high- and low-band networking on Financial Street, and in a major stadium that can accommodate 68,000 spectators, enables 90% coverage for 91% of the population.

This new network enables multiple concurrent high-speed channels for high-definition livestreaming at sports events.

China Unicom Beijing is leading the transition from single-band networks to a layered communications system, with high bands for network capacity, mid-bands for continuous coverage, and low bands and space-air-ground coordination for wide-area coverage. The key to this network is the coordination of high, mid-, low, and other bands for low-altitude and satellite communications.

The network provides essential support for low-altitude tourism and emergency services, which stimulates the local low-altitude economy. Along sections of the Great Wall traversing the northern rural and suburban districts of Beijing, China Unicom Beijing has deployed 5G-A base stations to provide unbroken 10 Gbps coverage for both terrestrial and low-altitude spaces below 300 meters.

5G-A enables the world's fastest connections for subway passengers

Commuters on Beijing Subway Line 3 can now enjoy stable, blazing-fast 5G-A network speeds underground. This is made possible with the world's first 300 MHz bandwidth, networking featuring the next-generation LampSite X units and distributed Massive MIMO technology. Special solutions are used to ensure uninterrupted signal coverage in tunnels.

Media visited Yanqing Great Wall helicopter low-altitude tourism business on site

Field tests yielded peak download speeds of 2.4 Gbps, peak upload speeds of 146 Mbps, and 1.7 Gbps downlink speeds inside the subway tunnels. This network upgrade eliminates dead zones, which means commuters can enjoy seamless streaming, instant downloads and uploads, crystal-clear calls, and HD videoconferencing, even during rush hour.

End-to-end automation enables AI-driven optimization

"High bandwidth is key to better user experience, only with 10 Gbps networks is 'Gbps for all' possible." -- Yang Lifan, Deputy general manager from China Unicom Beijing

Using AI and Big Data, China Unicom Beijing has become the world's first mobile operator to automate the provisioning and optimization of lightweight networks. This reduces base station deployment time from days to minutes. Increasingly smart network management has significantly reduced operational risks and streamlined service expansion into new areas. China Unicom Beijing and Huawei are working to achieve automation across all network settings by 2026, covering site deployment, maintenance, optimization, and complaint handling.

"High bandwidth is key to better user experience,” says Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager at China Unicom Beijing. “Only with 10 Gbps networks is 'Gbps for all' possible."