The horizon above our cities is transforming from empty sky into a dynamic, regulated highway system, powered by an invisible digital nervous system known as the Low-Altitude Intelligence Network. This critical infrastructure, integrating AI, 5G/5G-A, big data, and IoT, is the indispensable foundation enabling the safe, efficient, and scalable emergence of the Low-Altitude Economy. At the recent 2025 World Mobile Communications Congress in Shanghai, major industry players showcased significant strides in building this network, signaling that the era of integrated low-altitude operations is rapidly ascending from concept to reality.
China Telecom demonstrated tangible progress, moving beyond theoretical frameworks. Its exhibition featured operational systems like tethered drones, water-sampling UAVs, and the M350 multi-rotor platform. Crucially, the company highlighted its low-altitude infrastructure system. This system utilizes drones equipped with high-precision navigation and multi-modal sensor arrays to achieve intelligent, three-dimensional monitoring of entire airspace domains. “This isn’t just about seeing drones; it’s about comprehensively understanding the airspace environment – weather, obstacles, other vehicles – in real-time,” explained a technical lead at their booth. This capability underpins core Low-Altitude Economy scenarios: validating infrastructure for urban air mobility corridors, enabling beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) logistics, and supporting complex emergency response missions. Specific applications under active trial include solving the critical “last mile” challenge in urgent medical deliveries and natural disaster relief via dedicated drone logistics routes, and establishing reliable “5G+ Medical Drone Corridors” for transporting sensitive samples and vital supplies.
Addressing the paramount concern of safety within the burgeoning Low-Altitude Economy, China Telecom detailed its city-level infrastructure strategy: “1 Foundational Platform + N Types of Low-Altitude Infrastructure.” This architecture aims for “all-weather, all-airspace, all-target” awareness. In high-stakes scenarios like sensitive site protection or dedicated flight path monitoring, the system reportedly achieves centimeter-level positioning accuracy and millisecond-level response times. “Safety isn’t negotiable. This level of precision and speed is non-optional for dense urban operations or high-value cargo transport,” the representative emphasized. Pilot deployments are already operational in cities including Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Hefei, providing real-world validation.
Concurrently, China Mobile is constructing what Yu Jianjun, Deputy General Manager of Industrial Expansion at its Shanghai Research Institute, termed a “‘Precise Navigation, Clear Visibility, Accurate Calculation’ integrated air-space-ground transportation navigation network.” The goal is seamless synergy between terrestrial and aerial systems. China Mobile’s strategy focuses on creating structured “air routes,” developing robust “aerial navigation” services, and establishing a unified “airspace digital twin” – collectively forming a secure, efficient, and open low-altitude collaborative ecosystem. “This integrated network is the backbone for unlocking entirely new urban service models and efficiencies within the Low-Altitude Economy,” Yu stated, positioning it as an enabler for future urban living paradigms.
China Unicom showcased its commitment to integrated land-sea-air-network convergence. The company formally launched its comprehensive Low-Altitude Economic Capability System at the event, featuring three core platforms: the Low-Altitude Safety Supervision Platform, the Low-Altitude Airspace Management Platform, and the Smart Low-Altitude Application Platform. This triad is designed to deliver holistic support for low-altitude vehicle operations, complex airspace management, and value-driven data utilization. “Our objective is clear: empower the entire sector to achieve ‘visibility, manageability, and optimal utilization’ of low-altitude resources – essential pillars for a thriving Low-Altitude Economy,” a Unicom spokesperson outlined.
Leveraging its vast physical footprint, China Tower is accelerating the deployment of tangible infrastructure. Guo Wenqi, Senior Manager of Industry Expansion at China Tower Shanghai, highlighted the utilization of the company’s 2.1 million tower sites nationwide, complemented by extensive equipment shelter facilities and reliable power networks. “Our core advantage lies in ‘Location + Computing Power + Electricity + Security’. We are rapidly deploying the essential physical, informational, and software infrastructure layers,” Guo explained. This foundation is actively enabling key “Low-Altitude+” applications such as real-time safety awareness, spatial intelligence for urban management, automated logistics delivery networks, and efficient infrastructure inspection and emergency response missions.
While technological advancements are accelerating, industry leaders acknowledge significant hurdles remain for the Low-Altitude Economy to achieve its full potential. Tang Xue, Vice President of ZTE and General Manager of Strategic Architecture for Wireless & Computing Products, identified the critical triumvirate: “Safety, Scalability, and Cost-Effectiveness are non-negotiable for sustainable growth.” She emphasized that balancing safety imperatives with developmental speed requires robust rulemaking, advanced technological solutions, and purpose-built infrastructure. “Achieving the necessary scale for economic viability hinges on three parallel tracks: cultivating high-value operational use cases, ensuring ubiquitous supporting infrastructure, and establishing viable commercial models that create closed-loop value chains,” Tang elaborated.
Recognizing the urgent need for standardized frameworks to support this complex ecosystem, a significant regulatory milestone was recently achieved. Under the joint guidance of the Shanghai Communications Administration and the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, a landmark document emerged. China Telecom Shanghai, leading a consortium of 15 drafting entities, saw the “Technical Specification for 5G Network Planning and Construction Supporting Low-Altitude Intelligence Network Services” officially published and implemented. This is China’s first dedicated standard for planning and building 5G/5G-A networks explicitly designed to serve the Low-Altitude Intelligence Network. Applicable to sub-600-meter operations – encompassing drone logistics, emergency medical response, aerial tourism, smart city applications, and nascent passenger transport – the specification provides a concrete “Shanghai Solution” for nationwide deployment. It addresses critical requirements for communication reliability, precise positioning, and seamless data exchange essential for dense, low-altitude operations.
Building on this momentum, the Shanghai Communications Administration has outlined a clear roadmap. Its published guidance mandates a phased, geographically targeted approach to achieve comprehensive Low-Altitude Intelligence Network coverage based on 5G-A technology. The ambitious target: by the end of 2026, establish a continuous, ubiquitous low-altitude communication network spanning designated flight routes across the region. This infrastructure is explicitly positioned as the catalyst to propel Shanghai, and by extension China, into a leadership role within the global Low-Altitude Economy.
The convergence of intense R&D, active piloting across multiple cities, strategic infrastructure investment, and crucially, the emergence of vital technical standards, paints a compelling picture. The Low-Altitude Intelligence Network is rapidly maturing from a conceptual layer into the operational bedrock. It is this sophisticated digital mesh – enabling real-time awareness, precise navigation, secure communication, and intelligent coordination – that is systematically de-risking low-altitude operations and unlocking scalable commercial applications. The message resonating from Shanghai is unambiguous: the foundational infrastructure for the Low-Altitude Economy is being actively deployed. The race is no longer solely about vehicle innovation; it is about constructing the intelligent, secure, and efficient aerial operating environment that will allow this transformative economic sector to truly achieve sustainable, large-scale flight. The era where the sky integrates seamlessly with our urban and logistical fabric is not a distant future prospect; it is being architected today, one cell tower, one sensor node, and one standard at a time, heralding a profound shift in how we utilize the third dimension above us.