Pudong and Hongqiao Airports are expected to have 5G connectivity in November
China has been working seriously on including 5G initiatives as part of the aviation infrastructures. “Digitalization is a new value-growth point of the whole aviation industry”, said Xu Jun, vice president of Asia-Pacific OEMs of Honeywell Aerospace, according to Xinhuanet. On August 24, 2020, The Shanghai Airport Authority signed an agreement with Shanghai branches of China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, and tower infrastructure service provider China Tower aiming to secure 5G deployments for the aviation sector.
The Shanghai Airport Authority is expected to provide the city’s Pudong and Hongqiao Airports with 5G-network connectivity ahead of 2020 China International Import Expo (CIIE) from November 5 to 10. On Monday, August 24, local authorities launched a “5G + smart civil aviation application demonstration base” at the two airports, according to Shine.
China Tower, the largest tower infrastructure service provider states that it will work with the mobile carriers to provide low-cost, high-efficiency, and good-quality 5G coverage.
The 5G will be deployed in the main passenger areas of the airports and will power smart applications to further improve operations and customer services, including safety management and operational support, according to RCR Wireless. With the 5G connectivity, passengers will receive timely information for departure and arrival as well as additional self-services. Artificial Intelligence will help in reducing operational and maintenance costs.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Information Technology has been widely used in Shanghai airports. The deployment of high-speed internet connectivity is crucial for the aviation industry amid fears of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to China Tech News, Huawei has announced the establishment of the Shanghai 5G Open Lab. Zhang Jiaming, Vice Director of Shangai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization states that Shanghai has completed over 25000 5G outdoor base stations by the end of July 2020. On the other hand, the city is expected to have over 30000 5G outdoor base stations and over 50000 5G indoor small stations by the end of 2020, according to the same source.
Zheng Hongfeng, CEO of VariFlight, a China-based civil aviation data service provider said, “Taking the opportunity of the new infrastructure, China’s civil aviation industry is expected to generate new technologies, experiences, and even standards”, according to Xinhuanet.
The innovation potential is huge and airports, airlines, and passengers will feel the force of 5G in very different ways, according to Aviation Pros. 5G connectivity has tremendous potential in aviation market growth. Globe Newswire states that the 5G market in Aviation size is expected to reach $3.9 billion by 2026.