MWC SHANGHAI 2021: ZTE president Xu Ziyang (pictured) argued development of 5G technology remains far from complete, noting more improvements need to be found in spectrum efficiency and power consumption.

After two years of deploying 5G infrastructure in China, he said ZTE considers the rollout is still in an introductory period and faces a number of technology and business challenges.

He argued the technology “needs to be more efficient and consume less power”.

“The feasibility of certain industry applications and security issues must be addressed, and business models based on 5G also need to be further explored.”

He added the industry must adopt Massive MIMO technology to make better use of spectrum, and employ cloud technologies to minimise interference between bands.

In three to five years, he expects to see intelligence and openness in the cloud along with network convergence, with AI vital to improving the efficiency of 5G networks.

With consumers now considering mobile connectivity as essential as electricity, water and gas, “we are investing in 5G technologies to prepare future networks to respond to the uncertainties of the outside world”, he stated.

He likened the difficulties of 2020 to extreme climate change, noting companies and ZTE’s partners must re-evaluate their positioning.