At the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona, Huawei stole the show by showcasing its 5G developments and other technological advancements. Huawei emerged as one of the biggest players at the event, occupying the largest exhibition space at the event and highlighting its prowess in cloud technology and other business solutions.
Huawei unveiled a series of cutting-edge solutions, including the 5.5G network, the next-generation microwave MAGICSwave, the world’s first Dual-Engine Container solution, the Digital Managed Network Solution, One 5G solutions, new ICT Digital Intelligence Service and Software Solution, and a new Storage Solution to Build Data Infrastructure. These solutions demonstrate Huawei’s commitment to diversification and innovation.
At the event, Huawei launched a series of One 5G Solutions capable of driving all bands to 5G, which can help operators maximize the value of each band and improve network capabilities in multiple dimensions.
The focus has been made on the 5.5G era, which has been officially named by 3GPP, and Net5.5G is building industry generations. Typical 5.5G features include 10 Gbit/s, ADN Level-4, and 100 billion connections. Huawei aims to work with carriers, industry standards organizations, and partners to achieve the industry’s vision in the 5.5G. At the event, Huawei launched a series of One 5G Solutions capable of driving all bands to 5G, which can help operators maximize the value of each band and improve network capabilities in multiple dimensions.
By the end of 2022, 5G had already proven to be a global commercial success, with over a billion mobile users connecting with 5G, and leading operators in several countries achieving 5G user penetration rates of more than 30%. Indeed, according to the latest statistics, by December 2022, there had been 240+ commercial 5G networks worldwide, 900+ million 5G users, and 1,700+ released 5G terminal models. 5G brings upgraded ToC experience and helps global carriers improve network experience by 5 to 10 times (compared with 4G). The proportion of HD videos (≥ 720p) has increased by over 30%, and 5GtoB has become a new engine that stimulates the growth of the mobile industry. By December 2022, more than 10,000 5G private networks had been built worldwide, enabling ToB private networks to become the fastest-growing business for carriers.
Li Peng, President of Huawei’s Carrier BG, outlined how 5G will not be enough to address the needs of service providers to meet the demand for ultra-high-speed connectivity and extremely low latency. Therefore, he said Huawei is prepared to collaborate with its industry partners to deliver a ubiquitous 10-gigabit experience using cutting-edge wireless, optical, and IP technologies. Huawei is looking to transition from 5G to 5.5G to meet these expanding demands and help operators continuously expand their business boundaries and seize opportunities.
At the edition, Huawei unveiled the GUIDE 2023 initiative. GUIDE 2023 is an acronym for
- Gigaverse Initiative (Continuous evolution from Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s, and then to Tbit/s);
- Ultra-automation Speed Up (Continuous upgrade of ADN toward L4 and L5 autonomy);
- Intelligent Computing and Network as a Service (Intelligent Computing & Network as a Service — Iterative evolution from computing-network collaboration to computing-network convergence, and then to computing-network integration);
- Differentiated Experience On-demand (Continuously realizing network value through upgrades from deterministic services to on-demand services, and capability innovation from communications to sensing);
- ESG More Bits, Less Watts (Green solutions enable sustainable development of the digital economy).
The initiative aims to promote the evolution of computing and communication technologies towards a more intelligent, automated, and sustainable future.
Huawei also presented its new products and solutions for 2023. The Wireless/Cloud Core, focused on leading in MBB Gigaverse, and includes full-series MetaAAU for all scenarios, a green antenna, and X2 antenna. Huawei is also focused on optical connectivity and presents the FTTR, which calls for premium intelligent connectivity in several dimensions, such as 10x bandwidth, 10x connections, 1/10 latency, and 99.999% reliability. To achieve this goal, Huawei proposes three value propositions: Giga to Every Room, OTN to Every CO, and SLA-Guarantee to Every Cloud.
Huawei proposes a differentiated experience on-demand, which aims to realize network value through upgrades from deterministic services to on-demand services, and capability innovation from communications to sensing. Huawei also presents ESG More Bits, Less Watts, which promotes green solutions for sustainable development of the digital economy. Huawei believes that the GUIDE 2023 initiative, along with the new products and solutions for 2023, will create an atmosphere of comprehensive 5G business success and demonstrate its product and solution innovations.
As the world faces the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability, industries are under increasing pressure to adopt more eco-friendly practices. The telecommunications industry, with its vast networks of infrastructure and data centers, is no exception. In response, at the MWC 2023, Huawei proposed a “1+2+3” green development strategy to help carriers accelerate their green development efforts. This strategy is built upon the foundation of last year’s initiative and is aimed at helping carriers accelerate their green development efforts.
The “1+2+3” strategy is composed of one indicator system, two energy-saving scenarios, and a three-layer solution that includes intelligent technologies. These solutions are designed to enable watts to sense bits and automatically adjust energy-saving policies, thereby driving green development.
One of the critical elements of the “1+2+3” strategy is the Network Energy Efficiency (NCIe) indicator system. Huawei proposed this system in MWC 2022, and it has since become a standard in the industry. This year, the NCIe system continues to evolve, providing scientific guidance for carriers to develop networks and improve energy efficiency.
To achieve the objective of reducing carbon emissions, Huawei has developed an Intelligent 1+3 Green Solution. This solution includes Green DC, Green Site, Green Network, and Green Operation, all aimed at providing green and energy-saving data center solutions, intelligent sensing, and dynamic scheduling of site facilities, all-optical deployment, and intelligent automation for all scenarios, and data-driven energy efficiency management, respectively.
- Huawei’s Green DC solution focuses on constructing zero-carbon data centers that comprehensively evaluate data centers from multiple dimensions such as Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), Chilled Water Usage Effectiveness (CUE), and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE). The cooling technology used in the data centers is a key element of this solution, and Huawei has launched two cooling solutions — the indirect evaporative cooling solution and the extended-range cooling solution. The solutions make full use of natural cooling sources, reducing PUE and WUE, thus ensuring energy efficiency.
- The Green Site solution focuses on providing wireless equipment that utilizes intelligent power-saving, enhanced dormancy, and millisecond-level intelligent power optimization. The solution reduces energy consumption by 5%–10% and approaches the “Zero Bit, Zero Watt” target, thus maximizing energy savings.
- The Green Network solution delivers optimal network energy efficiency through an all-optical deployment and intelligent automation for all scenarios. The system enables idle resources to hibernate and adapt to network loads, ensuring that network energy consumption aligns with traffic volume change trends.
- Finally, the Green Operation solution is driven by big data and AI technologies, using network management platforms such as NetEco and NCE to collect real-time network traffic and energy consumption data. These platforms systematically display indicators such as energy consumption, energy efficiency, and carbon emissions of all network equipment, helping carriers achieve their green and carbon reduction targets through refined green operations.
Huawei’s Intelligent 1+3 Green Solution has been applied in more than 50 networks worldwide. In Switzerland, Huawei provides a 4G/5G collaborative integrated energy-saving solution, reducing equipment energy consumption by 11%. China Mobile activated energy-saving software features, including symbol-, channel-, and carrier-level dormancy, reducing energy consumption by 25%. The energy-saving feature test project for Vodafone Spain also saw carrier- and channel-level dormancy features activated on 4G and 5G networks, reducing energy consumption by 6.4%.
Huawei’s “1+2+3” green development strategy and Intelligent 1+3 Green Solution are essential in achieving a greener future. By providing innovative solutions that are energy-efficient and sustainable, Huawei is committed to making a significant contribution to environmental protection, a better world, and a better future for all.
In conclusion, in Barcelona, Huawei’s strategy in MWC 2023 was to channel resources towards more profitable operations, such as cloud technology and other business solutions, and it succeeded spectacularly. Overall, Huawei’s participation at MWC 2023 demonstrated the company’s resilience and commitment to innovation. Huawei’s continued push towards 5.5G technology and other technological advancements prove that the company is looking to the future and is determined to remain a global leader in the tech industry.
