PRESS RELEASE: During the Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2022 (MBBF2022) in Bangkok, Thailand, Lu Heng, Wireless Director of China Telecom Shanghai, spoke at the Sub-3GHz Network Evolution Summit, sharing a roadmap for the expansion of 5G: “The next step in high-speed 5G network construction is to deliver wider, deeper, and truly ubiquitous coverage”. China Telecom Shanghai also shared its latest experience in promoting in-depth 5G coverage in residential areas via large-scale deployment of 8T8R at 2.1GHz, with an exhibition booth that attracted great interest among attendees.

China Telecom Shanghai showcase at MBBF2022

China Telecom has introduced a number of significant 5G innovations. The operator has initiated over 30 international standards, holds over 600 5G patents, and has made technological breakthroughs in multi-band coordination between high, mid, and low bands. The Shanghai branch has pioneered 5G construction and takes the lead in 5G innovation, working with Huawei to bolster coverage in the city’s residential areas, with commercial deployment of FDD 8T8R at 30 5G sites earlier this year. This has led to a marked increase in 5G coverage rate from 91% to 99% within covered areas, as well as a boost in 5G traffic ratio to 10 percentage points higher than average across the entire network. This has allowed for a premium, low-latency experience for key services, including those related to online learning, health QR code, and the Shanghai Health Cloud.

This motivated China Telecom Shanghai to ramp up its efforts and deploy FDD 8T8R at another 400 continuous sites, significantly improving 5G coverage over nearly 5,000 buildings across 205 residential areas. For example, in Jianhe Jiayuan Residential Compound, which has a floor area of more than 70,000 square meters and includes 26 buildings, FDD 8T8R has improved 5G coverage from 68.6% to a staggering 91.6%, achieving seamless coverage. Enhanced 5G coverage throughout these residential areas has led to a rapid increase in traffic — with 33% and 52% daily average increases in total and 5G traffic, respectively.

In addition to deploying FDD 8T8R, China Telecom Shanghai also coordinates 3.5GHz Massive MIMO and 2.1GHz 8T8R to fully harness the spectrum and enhance the 5G user experience. Tests reveal that after the multi-band coordination feature was enabled, the downlink and uplink experience of cell edge users improved by 46% and over 300%, respectively. This has contributed to the construction of 5G-powered digital communities in Shanghai.

FDD 8T8R deployed in residential area

Digital communities are a key application of 5G. By promoting new technologies, China Telecom Shanghai has laid the groundwork for a newly-digitalized Shanghai through FDD 8T8R deployment. It sets an excellent example for 5G coverage solution planning for residential areas in this city. The operator will work to turn Shanghai into a 5G digital city, by expanding FDD 8T8R deployment to achieve digital economy, life, and governance and better serve sectors such as government, finance, industry, and social livelihood.