PARTNER FEATURE: The Shanghai Marathon, supported by China Mobile Shanghai’s new 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network, offered spectators a fresh perspective on the race, with top runners carrying 5G-A devices to deliver live broadcasts along the 42.195km journey, as well as drones providing panoramic views of all the action – from start to finish line.
The event organizer broadcast the entire race on 1 December in 3D mode, which was only possible using the enhanced capabilities of the 5G-A network which covered the entire course across Shanghai.
The huge improvement in performance delivered by the new 5G-A network provided an enhanced experience for 38,000 runners and tens of thousands of spectators. China Mobile Shanghai also gave 5G-A package users higher priority on the network, giving them upgrade options similar to VIP channels offered by banks and airlines.
With more runners sharing their race experience in HD and even more spectators watching live broadcasts, the mobile network required huge capacity. Even with tens of thousands of users on the network, all taking videos to share and many live broadcasting their experience, feedback from customers indicated the quality of images was clear and the network stable.
Professional runner Wu Ruifeng told reporters that this year he had a new identity as a track live broadcaster. “Friends and family members said they have never seen this type of live broadcast delivered. Everyone liked to watch, and it was very smooth.”
This is one example of how 5G-A technology enabled China Mobile Shanghai, working with Huawei, to quickly develop differentiated offerings resulting in new revenue streams.
Segmented experience
Following the widespread launch of 5G-A service earlier in the year, the operator has moved from relying only on data volume-based pricing to introducing service level agreements (SLAs) for select customers.
A range of 5G-A packages are based on parameters such as peak speed, both downlink and uplink, as well as priority, which improve the customer experience and are now increasing revenue. Its Magic Speed Programme offers a range of packages to fit various use-cases, such as business travel, live broadcasts and gaming.
Subscribers with higher peak rates have traffic prioritization: customers on 3Gb/s plans have a higher priority than those on 2Gb/s packages, who in turn have higher priority than those subscribing to 1Gb/s plans. The price of 5G-A segmented packages ranges from a top-up of CNY20 ($2.70) or CNY30 to the existing 5G package tariff.
China Mobile Shanghai has deployed 5G-A networks across metro lines in the city, covering 11 million commuters every day. The operator also installed network equipment at 15 colleges and universities to provide stable network access for 1.2 million students, enabling smooth online learning and interactive communication experience.
As the first operator in China to launch 5G-A commercial packages, it successfully promoted the services via upgrades and retention campaigns as well as attracted new subscribers to the service, reaching more than 300,000 users, laying a solid foundation for value-based operation and business success, it stated.
With packages delivering higher access priorities, the operator said the peak user-perceived rate increased by three to five times, while latency fell by more than 20 per cent. The average monthly data consumption per 5G-A package user is 20 per cent higher than before their subscription. ARPU increased by as much as 11 per cent.
Network advancements
The 5G-A network delivers high bandwidth capability using three component carrier (3CC) aggregation, a 5G core and wireless technology. Tapping the 2.6GHz, 4.9GHz and 700MHz bands, China Mobile Shanghai deployed the world’s largest network with 3CC aggregation, providing multi-frequency coordination and device-network synergy.
Using AI and big data analysis, wireless resources are pre-allocated in advance by analysing the usage habits of 5G-A package users. For example, during peak hours, the resource allocation weight is increased for business travel package users to guarantee that traffic has high priority, Huawei noted.
The company’s core network and wireless technologies ensure 5G-A package customers experience lower latency and higher-quality communication services by using static configuration policies, especially in high-traffic scenarios. In the operation phase, the vendor’s end-to-end customer experience management solution platform monitors package users’ network status to provide the required experience in real time. The platform also performs special analysis based on feedback from VIP users to quickly respond to user requirements and further improve user satisfaction.
The technical solutions are compatible with all devices and operating systems, enabling all mobile terminal users who subscribe to a 5G-A segmented package to enjoy a high-quality experience.
China Mobile launched 5G-A service in large parts of more than 300 urban areas across China, with an average downlink network speed of more than 1Gb/s. 5G-A features ultra-large uplink bandwidth, ultra-low latency and high stability.