At MWC 2025 in Barcelona, the 5G-A Core Summit hosted by Huawei was successfully held, under the theme '5G-A Intelligent Core Enabling New Entries’. Industry organizations such as GSMA, Dell'Oro, along with leading operators from the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America, attended the meeting. Ms. Wang Zhiqin, Vice President of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), attended and delivered a keynote speech highlighting the latest commercial advancements in 5G-A intelligent core and New Calling in China, typical 5G-A applications represented by New Calling, have more than 40 million users subscribed during the first year of commercial use, accelerating information and communications services to a new level of 5G-A applications.
She emphasized that China's 5G network construction has consistently followed the principle of being 'moderately ahead of demand,' and the significant progress made over the past five years has established a solid foundation for building a digital China. As 5G networks and their applications continue to permeate a diverse range of industries, information and communications services are rapidly advancing towards 5G-A.
According to Wang Zhiqin, in driving the deep integration of 5G and AI, telecom operators are being encouraged to deliver high-quality, differentiated services tailored to the diverse needs of public users. In 2024, key 5G-A applications, such as RedCap and New Calling, have seen widespread adoption. Leveraging AI to accurately categorize users has enabled operators to offer customized user experience assurance services in critical scenarios like high-speed railways, gaming, and live streaming. These services have been commercially deployed across seven provinces in China. Furthermore, operators have utilized AI to develop six innovative New Calling services, including Visualized Voice Calling, Real-Time Translation, and Fun Calling, significantly enhancing real-time communication experiences. To date, New Calling has attracted over 40 million users in China. Looking forward, advanced New Calling features that enable real-time touch-screen interactions — such as screen sharing, content sharing, and intelligent customer service — are set to make their commercial debut in2025, further transforming the way people communicate.
China's 5G-A application development has reached a critical turning point, shifting its focus from technological advancements and government policies to creating value and meeting market demands, according to Wang Zhiqin. As a result, stakeholders across the country will intensify their efforts in strategic planning and drive the evolution of 5G-A applications forward. By the end of 2027, China plans to establish a comprehensive development framework that ensures universal capabilities, widespread adoption, and inclusive empowerment, ultimately facilitating the large-scale deployment of 5G-A applications nationwide.