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Intel makes 5G push across China with Huawei

Intel has partnered with China's biggest tech giants to accelerate the development and deployment of 5G.
Written by Corinne Reichert, Contributor

Intel has announced a series of new 5G developments in China alongside Huawei, ZTE, Tencent, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Baidu, and Unisoc.

As part of the swathe of announcements this week, Unisoc CTO Xiaoxin Qiu said his company will be using Intel's 5G modems in mid-tier Android smartphones globally that use its ROC1 applications processor.

Also announced was a joint artificial intelligence and 5G innovation lab between Intel and Baidu, which will "explore converged edge and cloud services" with an aim of delivering Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, and entertainment 5G applications, according to Baidu's System Department executive director Zhenyu Hou.

Alibaba, which last week announced a joint edge computing platform with Intel, has also now appointed Intel as a strategic partner of its intelligent transportation initiative on its AliOS platform.

"The two companies, along with Datang Telecom will explore V2X usage model with respect to 5G communication and edge computing based on the Intel Network Edge Virtualisation Software Development Kit (NEV SDK)," Intel said.

Read also: 5G for golf: Intel and Fox Sports work on US Open broadcasts

Following their interoperability trials alongside China Mobile completed in July, Intel and Huawei have also now said they will continue testing technologies together as part of IMT 2020 5G Phase 3.

Intel and Huawei had in February used Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona to conduct the world's first 5G NR over-the-air interoperability public demonstration after Huawei had announced partnering with Intel on interoperability trials based on 3GPP standards back in September 2017.

Also announced this week was that Tencent WeTest will be deploying an edge cloud gaming platform using Intel's Xeon processors; while Ethernet switch maker H3C and Comba Telecom Holdings said they would use Intel's FlexRAN 5G NR-compliant solution for 5G.

Intel will lastly be again providing its 5G technologies for the Olympics, with the tech giant collaborating with China Unicom and the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games on the 2022 Winter Olympics.

This follows Intel announcing during MWC that it will partner with Japanese telecommunications carrier NTT DoCoMo on providing 5G coverage and technology for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Some of the applications that can be expected at Tokyo 2020 include 360-degree 8K video streams with real-time broadcasts, including VR applications; drones kitted out with HD cameras; smart city sensors and connected cars, which will enable better transport options throughout Tokyo; and access to data and analytics during Olympic training for athletes.

Its global push on 5G saw Intel earlier this month announce that its technology will be used by both Nokia and Ericsson in the first series of 5G deployments globally.

"Intel is powering the first wave of 5G networks," Rivera said in early September.

"Starting with our 5G New Radio modems, we're building a portfolio of capabilities that lend an additional foundation to the hundreds of millions of modem devices that we have shipped to the market for 4G networks."

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