Cloud network convergence – foundation for innovation in the next decade

Cloud network convergence China Telecom

Cloud network convergence is the key to achieving China’s network infrastructure goals, according to Wu Xiangdong, from China Telecom at Huawei’s Better World Summit NetX 2025 & X-Tech.

Wu Xiangdong, Vice President,
China Telecom Research Institute

Wu says that there is a new, yet solid, opportunity created by the saturation of mobile and broadband and a relatively low use of cloud services in the country. The presentation cited a statement from the 19th Academic Assembly of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which says that these infrastructure opportunities will ‘promote the deep integration of the internet, big data and AI with the real economy to expand and strengthen the digital economy’.

To support this, research by IDC shows that the net increase of mobile users is down 51% from 2018 to 2019 and the same statistic for broadband is down by 45%. Add to those figures the fact that 96% of businesses outside China have used cloud services, while only 40% of Chinese companies have and, as in the case of fixed-mobile convergence, the opportunity is clear.

The goal is to leverage new technologies such as 5G and AI to drive infrastructure development towards an environment that brings together humans, machines and objects to create an ‘intelligent society’.

The key to cloud network convergence is to work towards integrated supply, integrated O&M and integrated services. This will provide the “new engine for economic and social development and is an important way to accelerate the transformation” says Wu.

The key points of cloud network convergence, according to Wu, include a new generation of cloud network operating system; sky-ground integration to provide ubiquitous connection; multi-cloud, hybrid cloud and cloud Edge computing; data and computing power Resource Convergence and adaptive security mechanisms. There is a seven-step approach to cloud network convergence in Wu’s presentation.

Cloud computing is already becoming an integral part of people’s lives, says, Wu, “like water and electricity” and this initiative builds on that.

There is no doubt that this is a bold strategy, one which will deliver an Intelligent Society. It is also bold because its success relies on the ability to integrate cloud, AI, 5G and the internet to deliver a secure, agile platform to bring innovation possibilities to many industries.

It may be bold but China Telecom, as the number one eCloud provider and the number public cloud provider, is well placed to deliver the vision. China Telecom is practising 5G SA (standalone) as the best way to enable cloud network convergence.

“We are entering a 10-year era of business and technological transformation,” says Wu. “We are focused on continuing to develop national infrastructure and we will continue to develop and innovate with our partners. Through cloud network convergence we will deliver infrastructure that lays a solid foundation for the benefit of many industries”.

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