City telecoms show a big attraction for people from near and afar
The recent MWC Shanghai 2021, Asia’s biggest telecommunications show, attracted around 20,000 visitors — and thousands more online — as well as influential speakers and tech giant exhibitors that included Huawei, Qualcomm and ZTE.
The three-day event at the Shanghai New International Expo Center last week showcased the latest in 5G, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, mixed reality and other cutting-edge technologies.
China’s investment in 5G has surpassed 260 billion yuan (US$40.6 billion), constructing 718,000 5G base stations and gaining 200 million 5G connections. Last year, the majority of global 5G investment was in China, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
5G has played a timely role in China’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, while it is also used in space, mines, hospitals, harbors and factories. By 2030, upgrades to 5G will create more than US$600 billion annually to benefit the world economy, according to industry officials.
The Shanghai event was a stage for companies, from both industry giants and startups, to display their innovative technology and a platform for industry officials to communicate face to face.
Products on display at the event included Huawei’s latest foldable model, Oppo’s flash charging technology and phones featuring artificial intelligence features and the latest chips.
Improvements to 5G and artificial intelligence technologies have created applications and services beyond the traditional telecommunications and smartphone industry, boosting the digital economy and improving people's daily lives, industry officials said.
Such innovations on show include glasses offering mixed reality content, dancing ox robots, a robot that makes coffee and a panoramic camera for sports broadcasts.
Dancing oxen welcome visitors to the ZTE booth.
A 5G-featured coffee-making machine attracts attention.
Huawei's latest foldable smartphone
Oppo's concept phone with scrolled screen
TCL showcases smartphone screen tech.
Unisoc showcases AI features that "recognize" body structure.
Shanghai Vice Mayor Wu Qing gives a speech at the event.
Visitors test mixed reality glasses at the telecoms show.
