5G coverage at city airports by November
New self-service check-in machines at the T2 terminal at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.
Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports will be covered by the 5G network by November with smart applications to further improve operations and customer services.
Shanghai Airport Authority signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Monday with the Shanghai branches of China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom as well as China Tower.
The Pudong and Hongqiao international airports aim to develop into "smart airports" based on the 5G network, a key communication technology for the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence applications, the airport authority said.
The main passengers' public areas of both airports will be covered by 5G signals ahead of this year’s China International Import Expo from November 5 to 10. The partners will explore innovative applications in the airports' safety management, operational support and customer services, according to the agreement.
China Tower, the world's largest telecommunications tower infrastructure service provider, said it will work with the mobile carriers to provide low-cost, high-efficiency and good-quality 5G coverage.
Shanghai has accelerated the development and testing of 5G services covering medical, industrial, manufacturing and entertainment applications. The next-generation mobile technology offers 20 to 50 times mobile Internet access.
The vastly faster speed it brings is expected to be a dramatic boost for industry and consumers — for everything from health care and manufacturing to smart driving, high-definition streaming and urban management, according to the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Informatization.
Pudong Airport's new smart flood prevention system.
By the end of July, over 25,000 outdoor and 31,000 indoor 5G base stations will have been built across the city. The main downtown and outskirt regions are covered by the 5G network.
The city plans to invest nearly 10 billion yuan (US$ 1.43 billion) this year to build a total of 80,000 outdoor and indoor base stations. By the end of 2020, the average download speed in the city will reach 200 megabits, while the key regions such as stadiums and commercial hubs can have the download speed of 500 megabits.
Local authorities launched a "5G + smart civil aviation application demonstration base" at the city's airports on Monday. Based on the 5G network, various smart operation, service and shopping scenarios will be developed to improve the travel experience, the airport authority said.
For instance, travelers will be able to receive more timely information at each procedure for departure or arrival. Additional self-service and non-contact services will be developed.
The airports' operational efficiency is expected to be improved, while operation and maintenance costs will be reduced with AI applications. The big data collected through 5G will assist the operation and decision-making system of the airports, according to the airports.
Information technologies have been widely used at the Pudong and Hongqiao airports during the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The digitalized management and information sharing schemes have effectively enhanced the efficiency of the airport staff and medical workers to prevent the entry of COVID-19 cases, the airport authority said.
Service staff display a translation device for foreign passengers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
