PARTNER FEATURE: China Mobile Ningbo, a division of the world’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, noted internal processes were placed at the heart of its comprehensive 5G strategy, with improvements forming a core of its approach to the next-generation technology.

Speaking to Mobile World Live from Huawei’s WinWin Live studio during MWC23 Shanghai, Xu Mengqiang, GM of China Mobile Ningbo, explained improvements to its own processes are one of several actions it took in deploying 5G, with the operator keen to up its customer experience game through a focus on operations and maintenance (O&M), service assurance and network deployments.

Xu explained the operator worked with its parent to implement six new actions to deliver new networks, technologies, momentum, terminals, services and ecosystems, with details of the work following later in this article.

China Mobile Ningbo’s goal is to “enable business growth and support industry development” he said, highlighting the collaborative nature of the operator’s work.

“A single flower does not make a spring,” Xu continued, noting China Mobile Ningbo “has built more than 100 scenario-based applications across 15 industries” and established itself as a “5G industry hub”.

Internally, the operator “established a standardised service model to deliver diagnosis reports in three days, customise application scenarios in five days and complete network construction in seven days to efficiently implement projects”, Xu explained.

China Mobile Ningbo also developed an assurance service model “to provide customers with butler services”, while a “lightweight 5G network” offers visibility into quality of service and the status of equipment “so that users can really control network operations”.

“We provide in-depth, customised services and have set up a dedicated O&M team to offer customers in-depth consultations through industrial diagnosis.”

Xu explained collaboration with China Mobile Ningbo’s customers is another important element, with the operator “committed to working with all to create a new era of 5G industry with our BEST service system”.

The rejig of China Mobile Ningbo’s own systems form the core of a 5G strategy spanning several prongs, perhaps the most-important of which is building its network.

Xu noted since commencing the deployment in 2019, the operator group has deployed 1.66 million 5G base stations nationwide, a feat which includes “covering all administrative villages in China”.

“In pursuit of large capacity, we have built the largest 2.6GHz and 4.9GHz area in the province, providing gigabit uplink and downlink speeds”.

Xu said the efforts are paying off: the operator “ranked first in both 4G and 5G tests across 31 provincial capitals and five separately listed cities” in Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) tests in 2021, before taking “first place in the network quality tests of 62 cities” among other accolades in 2022.

Keys

Of course, establishing the groundwork in terms of building infrastructure, and revamping internal processes and network O&M is only half the battle in deploying 5G. Xu cited services, building relationships with vertical industries and even ensuring there are enough compatible devices available as other key elements.

The executive noted China Mobile Ningbo is getting traction in private networking, tapping its parent’s resources and capabilities to strengthen its capabilities in the field, along with building “intelligent platforms to drive industry development with digitalisation and intelligence”.

China Mobile Ningbo “built the 5G Extreme Private Network 3.0 Ultra”, a moniker Xu explained “stands for ultimate experiences” which provide “ultra-optimised scenarios, simplified operations, excellent networks, dedicated O&M and strong assurance”.

The five capabilities have enabled the operator to provide “scenario-based” private 5G networks covering domains including offices and campuses, all with security and reliability as watchwords.

“In addition, we’ve provided lightweight 5G private networks for over a million small- and micro-enterprises in Ningbo, meeting the network access requirements of industry customers at different levels.”

Another area is intelligent platforms. Xu explained the company built an IoT platform, blockchain infrastructure and more than 120 applications to Ningbo’s specifications by “leveraging the capabilities” and platforms of its parent company.

As noted, China Mobile Ningbo is concerned with more than just the technology alone. Xu highlighted a commitment to “building new ecosystems”, explaining the development of the overall industry “cannot be achieved without the joint effort” of partners.

The operator is taking a leading role “by helping establish” industry associations spanning 5G IoT and blockchain, among others.

Models for these cooperative efforts include capital investment, and jointly expanding projects and incubating products “to effectively align supply and demand, and to promote the prosperity and development of the industry ecosystem”.

The operator also implemented initiatives to provide new, compatible devices to the market, again tapping group resources to provide “customers with a variety of access terminals and components”, Xu said.

Those products include “multi-functional integrated chips developed by China Mobile and ecosystem partners” and “multi-domain customised modules” spanning 5G, NB-IoT and vehicle-mounted units.

Xu said it has also developed intelligent terminals for industry, tailoring these to specific sectors where required.

The operator’s attention to detail is reaping rewards: in Q1, it “sold more than 1 million sets of integrated chips, greatly accelerating the integration of data and intelligence across the industry value chain”.

There is also a pay-off in terms of consumer uptake of China Mobile’s overall 5G services. Xu noted the number on a compatible tariff is approaching the 700 million mark, roughly 60 per cent of the total number of 5G users in the country.

It is also gaining recognition for its 5G services and applications, Xu said, highlighting a five-year run of wins in the National 5G Blossom Cup, a contest sponsored by the MIIT, along with the development of 23,000 compatible use cases.

In action

Delving deeper into China Mobile Ningbo’s work, Xu noted the city is a pilot for Made In China 2025, an initiative to overhaul the nation’s industrial operations.

Tapping this along with its parent’s capabilities, the operator has “accelerated the scale development of fully-connected 5G factories”, building 15 applications spanning areas including mass production manufacturing execution system terminals, industrial visual inspection services and high-precision positioning.

“We’ve established ten national benchmarks and six future factories. We were the first in China to use technologies such as 5G LAN and UPF kite-like solution for commercial use.”

Xu added the company’s 5G+ industrial internet projects had been adopted by 338 factories in deals worth a total of CNY390 million ($54.1 million): “These projects are helping Ningbo become a global manufacturing innovation hub”.

Another key project is a digital transformation of the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, a facility Xu asserted is the largest of its kind in the world, which topped the tables for cargo throughput for 14 consecutive years.

“We applied 5G core capabilities to build the first showcase for 5G-powered smart ports in China and implemented eight innovative applications to address the pain points in operations”. These include remote control of cranes, connecting 62 other vehicles to the network and smoothing the process of loading containers onto road transport.

“Through years of development, the Zhoushan Port project’s… practices have been replicated to more than 12 terminals, improving the overall operational efficiency by 15 per cent”.

China Mobile Ningbo also applied its expertise to the city’s utilities, providing full 5G coverage of all power plants, along with building the nation’s “largest virtual private network” by employing network slicing. Joint development of “a digital smart power solution” has delivered “secure, reliable, cost-effective and efficient operation of power grids” along with helping to “build a leading green and low-carbon demonstration zone”.

Alongside industry and utilities, Xu pointed to 5G innovations in areas including digital intelligent government, healthcare, education, tourism and even local communities. “We’ve also enabled transportation, governance, energy and finance sectors…and injected new impetus for industrial development”, reaping more than 110 awards in the Blossom Cup contests.

Next steps

Xu noted 5G “is entering a new stage of development”, one requiring operators to maintain a focus on building their networks, which he noted are “a cornerstone for applications”.

Network deployments must be handled in an “intensive and efficient manner and leverage the advantages of multi-frequency synergy to maintain the leading position in 5G coverage and experience”.

The executive called for an acceleration in the integration of 5G “into production in multiple domains” to drive digital transformation across various industries.

Xu also noted there is no time for the industry to rest on its laurels in terms of developing the technology itself. He advocates for a pioneering approach to “developing new technologies to address new requirements and create new momentum”.