Sina Technology News, afternoon of May 11th, Professor Song Junde from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and Secretary-General Shiguang from TD Technology Forum were invited to Sina.com to chat with netizens about the wireless city construction by operators.
Currently, all three major operators are enthusiastically constructing their networks, which will drive the development of hotspots such as WIFI, Internet of Things, and convergence of the three networks. However, there is no consensus in the industry on what technology should be used for the construction of wireless cities, how they should be laid out, and what scale they should reach. During their chat on Sina.com, Professor Song Junde and Secretary-General Shiguang from TD Technology Forum discussed these issues in depth.
Guest Introduction:
Professor Song Junde, doctoral supervisor. Currently serves as the chairman of the academic committee of the School of Electronic Engineering at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, chairman of CMIS of the China Communications Standards Association, honorary doctorate from Moscow Institute of Electronics Technology, member of the discipline evaluation group of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, expert reviewer of post-doctoral programs at the Ministry of Personnel, China's chairman of IFIP TC7 of the International Federation for Information Processing, member of the Communication Science and Technology Committee of the Ministry of Information Industry and satellite radio consultant expert, expert of the Expert Consultation Committee of the China Communications Standards Association, deputy director of the Network and Data Communication Professional Committee of the China Computer Society. Director of the PCN & CAD Center and CTI Research Center, which are key laboratories at the ministerial level of the Ministry of Information Industry. Previously served as the chairman of the university's degree committee and dean of the graduate school at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
Shiguang, currently secretary-general of the TD Technology Forum. Mr. Shiguang graduated from the Applied Physics program at Beijing University of Technology in 1993 and started working at the Beijing Instrument Research Institute under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, engaging in research and development of optical communication testing equipment. In 1995, Mr. Shiguang transferred to the Monitoring Center of the National Radio Management Committee, where he was involved in type approval testing of radio communication equipment. In 2000, Mr. Shiguang joined Hutchison Whampoa (China) Limited as a product manager, responsible for technical and market analysis and project development of electronic communication investment projects. In 2003, he joined Yulong Communication Computer Technology Co., Ltd., serving as the product expansion director of the mobile phone division. In 2004, Mr. Shiguang joined Spreadtrum Communications (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., holding various positions including assistant to the president, director of the strategy department, senior assistant to the CEO, and general manager of the Beijing branch, responsible for government and operator relations, strategic cooperation, public relations, and branch management of Spreadtrum. In June 2010, Mr. Shiguang was appointed as the acting secretary-general of the TD Technology Forum. On August 20, 2010, during the 13th board meeting of the TD Technology Forum, Mr. Shiguang was officially appointed as the secretary-general of the TD Technology Forum.
The following is the interview transcript:
Sina Technology Kang Zhao: Hello everyone! The World Telecommunication Day on May 17th is approaching, and Sina Technology has invited two guests to discuss current hot topics. We are honored to have Mr. Song Junde, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Communication Science and Technology Committee and professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, as well as Mr. Shiguang, the secretary-general of the TD Technology Forum. First, please let the two guests greet our netizens.
Song Junde: Hello everyone! I am Song Junde from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
Shiguang: Hello everyone! I am Shiguang, the secretary-general of the TD Technology Forum.
Sina Technology: Today we will explore the current hotspot "wireless city." Yesterday, China Telecom held a press conference announcing plans to massively build WIFI spots nationwide, aiming to reach one million by the end of 2012. This number is equivalent to five times the current amount, as China Telecom only has 200,000 so far. Actually, China Mobile and China Unicom also have similar plans but haven't announced them yet.
Song Junde: China Mobile did announce it, also aiming for one million, about half a month ago, which was quite a big event.
Sina Technology: First, please let the two experts explain what you think the concept of "wireless city" means?
Song Junde: "Wireless city" can be described this way; there are different definitions domestically, and I'll explain according to my perspective. I divide it into two phases: traditional "wireless city" and new-generation "wireless city." The concept of traditional "wireless city" originated around 2001-2002 in the U.S., primarily based on WIFI, and deployed by non-telecom operators like Intel, Google, and investors. Cities like Singapore, Chicago, and Paris adopted this model, which eventually failed or declined by 2007-2009.
The next wave, including our country's efforts starting in 2006 when I led the "wireless city" planning for Beijing, was still done by non-telecom operators such as Zhonglian Huatong, who obtained some funding from the government and managed the deployment themselves after being assigned a frequency. Why did this phase not succeed? It was due to the sole reliance on WIFI, which couldn't cover buildings properly, even with government funding in places like Singapore, making it unsuccessful. Thus, this phase was considered unsuccessful.
The wave that has risen in our country and internationally, I call the new-generation "wireless city." This generation differs because telecom operators are now involved. All three major operators in our country are participating in "wireless city" projects, including the broadcasting network in Hangzhou. So, the characteristic of this phase is that large operators are doing it, not just WIFI, but incorporating 2G, 3G, and even future 4G technologies, creating a seamless network. Use WIFI where available, GPS or GSM elsewhere, marking a significant difference.
Secondly, WIFI technology itself is advancing rapidly; the maximum bandwidth can now reach up to 900 Mbps, and ordinary products can achieve 300 Mbps. Imagine deploying a base station with 900 Mbps capacity, capable of supporting numerous PCs and terminals without issue. Of course, LTE and TD technologies are also coming. In this context, China Mobile is the most active, having a disadvantage in its network coverage compared to China Unicom and China Telecom. Both China Unicom and Telecom have fixed networks, whereas China Mobile only has Tietong, which is restricted. Therefore, China Mobile is the most proactive, while China Unicom and China Telecom are not weak due to their fixed networks. In this new wave, China Mobile aims for scaled development, preparing to reach one million ATs by 2012, alongside plans for wireless broadband and TD-WCDMA, TD-LTE integration.
However, another feature of "wireless city" is its combination with the government, often referred to as government-led, enterprise-supported. Why does the government get involved? In some areas, it is considered the final public service among water, electricity, gas, and transportation. The government needs to disclose information, communicate with citizens, and build a harmonious society, necessitating its involvement. It is necessary for the government to manage this because all three operators are involved. WIFI operates on 2.4G, and there will be 5.8G in the future. Our country has also approved 3.5G. If all three operators operate on 2.4G, none would succeed due to frequency interference. Therefore, this is a new generation of government-led, operator-driven model.
Shiguang: Based on my understanding, from a popular perspective, what is a "wireless city," and why is it called that? It mainly refers to the urban environment where populations are dense, business and economic activities are frequent, leading to high demands for wireless data services, whether in terms of bandwidth or coverage. To address this demand, as Professor Song mentioned, wireless access technology is a good choice in terms of cost and assurance. Domestically and internationally, many explorations have been made regarding "wireless city" applications. Currently, a relatively successful model appears to be one operated by telecom operators with government support, integrating core wireless access technology with wide-area mobile communications or wireless communication networks. This should be our main development direction at present. Professor Song's research in this area is very profound, and I hope Professor Song will share his insights later.
Song Junde: The key point he raised is the increasing demand for data. According to statistics from the U.S., the need for data increased fortyfold last year alone. Comparing regular phones with iPhones, the data usage of an iPhone is four times that of a regular phone. Additionally, WIFI has many advantages: it is cheap, simple, and as an information service, although its security and confidentiality are slightly inferior to traditional telecom services and cannot compare with 2G, 3G, or future 4G technologies. However, accessing the internet is very straightforward, and the services are multifaceted. Now, various services within cities are being operated by telecom operators, allowing their previous value-added services to be moved onto the internet, significantly increasing application and data volume, which is very important.