IoT to reform service sector: ZTE

Attendees visit ZTE Corp's 5G&IoT booth on June 30, 2016 at MWC Shanghai. [Photo by Liu Zheng / chinadaily.com.cn]

"Internet of Things" will not only trigger the fourth industry revolution, but also drive the future improvement of the agriculture and service sectors.

"IoT's implement applications in the service industry include four aspects: smart city administration, smart transportation, smart logistics and smart home," said Zhao Xianming, president of Chinese telecommunication company, ZTE Corp.

Zhao has today shared ZTE's vision on how IoT will bring about the fourth industrial revolution and revolutionize, in their entirety, how societies work and live. Zhao was speaking at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2016.

Zhao elaborated on the challenges that exist in building IoT services, including the difficulties in improving the existing network infrastructure and access modes, the need to accommodate exponential connection growth and the diverse requirements for delay, bandwidth and reliability.

"Various innovative IoT applications will soon emerge. We're at the eve of a powerful new IoT-enabled revolution in business and as a global society. All parties across the industrial chain have a collaborative, cooperative role to play in promoting the healthy development of the IoT industry," Zhao said.

According to the company, ZTE's solution involves improving urban management efficiency, facilitating public life and promoting technological innovation.

It provides ideas and models for urban construction, management and development by using information and communications technologies (ICT), such as high-speed Internet, big data, IoT and cloud computing.

Using ZTE's "BluePillar" solution as an example, Chen Jie, ZTE's chief information officer, said the project enabled a traditional streetlamp pillar to double as a 4G/5G BTS, or a charging point for electric vehicles.

The pillars can also collect data on weather, the environment, transportation and security, while its large outdoor LED screen can display information and advertising.

"This solution could reduce the unit cost and promote the business density of each site, which could help operators acquire sites whilst saving land, electricity and other resources," Chen said.

According to the company, more than 20,000 "BluePillars" have already been deployed in over 20 countries across the globe. Paris' "city of light" smart city project is using the technology.

As one of the nation's major telecommunication companies that provide smart city solutions, ZTE has carried out smart city projects in more than 140 cities and 40 countries.

The company has worked with domestic governments, such as Yinchuan, Jinhua, Huaian, to deploy multi-module complex smart city projects.