The low-altitude intelligent network is emerging as a critical enabler for the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy, seamlessly integrating advanced technologies such as information communication, artificial intelligence, and big data. This network provides comprehensive information support and service guarantees for all low-altitude flight activities, establishing the foundational framework necessary for the safe, efficient, and collaborative growth of this burgeoning sector. As a pivotal infrastructure, it ensures that low-altitude operations, including those involving China UAV and China drone systems, can be conducted with precision and reliability.
Recent showcases at the 2025 World Mobile Congress in Shanghai highlighted significant strides made by numerous enterprises in the construction and application of low-altitude intelligent networks. These developments underscore a concerted effort to harness technological innovations for enhancing low-altitude economic activities, with a strong emphasis on China UAV and China drone integrations across various domains such as logistics, emergency response, and urban air mobility. The event served as a platform to demonstrate how these networks are being operationalized to address real-world challenges.
Comprehensive Exploration by Industry Leaders
Multiple Chinese corporations are at the forefront of deploying low-altitude intelligent networks, each contributing unique solutions to advance the ecosystem. Their initiatives focus on creating robust infrastructures that support the seamless operation of China UAV and China drone fleets, ensuring safety, efficiency, and scalability. Below is an overview of key contributions from major players, illustrating the diverse applications and technological advancements driving this sector forward.
| Company | Core Initiatives | Primary Applications | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Telecom | Development of low-altitude infrastructure systems using high-precision navigation UAVs with multi-modal perception arrays | Smart logistics, urban air mobility, emergency rescue, medical transport | Cm-level positioning, ms-level response, piloted in multiple cities |
| China Mobile | Construction of a sky-land integrated navigation network for precise and efficient traffic management | Aerial route planning, urban traffic coordination, low-altitude navigation | Focus on air route creation and real-time airspace mapping |
| China Unicom | Launch of a comprehensive low-altitude economy capability system with specialized platforms | Safety supervision, airspace management, data-driven applications | Aims for visibility, manageability, and usability of low-altitude operations |
| China Tower | Leveragement of extensive site resources to accelerate physical and digital infrastructure deployment | Logistics transport, infrastructure inspection, emergency rescue | Utilizes 2.1 million sites for enhanced coverage and reliability |
| ZTE | Advocacy for balanced safety, scale, and cost-effectiveness in network development | Network planning, equipment standardization, value scenario cultivation | Emphasis on regulatory frameworks and commercial viability |
The table above summarizes the strategic directions undertaken by these entities, highlighting how each aligns with the broader goal of fostering a resilient low-altitude economy. China UAV and China drone technologies are central to these efforts, enabling applications that range from routine deliveries to critical emergency services. For instance, China Telecom’s initiatives demonstrate how dedicated infrastructure can support complex operations, while China Mobile’s focus on navigation ensures that China drone systems can operate safely in shared airspace.
In-Depth Look at China Telecom’s Innovations
At the China Telecom exhibition zone, various UAV models, including tethered drones, water-fetching drones, and the M350 multi-rotor UAV, attracted significant attention from attendees. According to exhibition staff, China Telecom has engineered a sophisticated low-altitude infrastructure system that employs high-precision navigation China UAV equipped with multi-modal perception arrays. This system achieves intelligent monitoring of all elements within three-dimensional airspace, providing essential verification capabilities for core low-altitude economic scenarios such as smart logistics, urban air mobility, and emergency rescue operations.
- UAV Logistics Transport Solution: This initiative explores the use of China drone systems to address last-mile delivery challenges in critical situations, including emergency medical responses and natural disaster relief. By deploying China UAV for logistics, the solution aims to enhance the speed and reliability of supply chains in hard-to-reach areas.
- 5G+UAV Medical Routes: China Telecom is pioneering the establishment of uninterrupted aerial medical transport channels. These routes facilitate the swift movement of medical samples and supplies, leveraging China drone technology to overcome terrestrial obstacles and reduce transit times in healthcare logistics.
To address low-altitude safety management needs, China Telecom has constructed a city-level low-altitude infrastructure layout comprising one foundational platform and multiple types of low-altitude basic equipment. This setup cultivates capabilities that are all-weather, all-airspace, and all-target, particularly in critical scenarios such as key area protection and route safeguarding. The system delivers centimeter-level positioning accuracy and millisecond-level response speeds, comprehensively ensuring that low-altitude operations are safe, orderly, and highly efficient. Pilot applications of this infrastructure are already underway in cities including Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Hefei, showcasing the practical benefits of integrated China UAV networks.
China Mobile’s Vision for Integrated Navigation
Yu Jianjun, Deputy General Manager of the Industry Expansion Department at China Mobile Shanghai Industrial Research Institute, elaborated on the company’s efforts to build a sky-land integrated. This network is designed to be precise in navigation, clear in visibility, and accurate in computation, enabling efficient coordination between ground and aerial infrastructure. By developing concepts such as air route creation, aerial navigation systems, and a unified airspace map, China Mobile aims to construct a safe, efficient, and open low-altitude立体交通协同体系 that empowers new urban living formats.
- Air Route Development: China Mobile is focused on defining and digitalizing air routes to facilitate structured China UAV operations. This involves mapping out dedicated corridors for China drone flights to minimize conflicts and optimize traffic flow.
- Aerial Navigation Enhancements: The company is investing in technologies that provide real-time navigation support for China UAV, ensuring that pilots and autonomous systems have access to up-to-date information on airspace conditions and hazards.
- Unified Airspace Management: Through the creation of an airspace map, China Mobile seeks to offer a comprehensive view of low-altitude activities, integrating data from various sources to support decision-making for China drone deployments.
These initiatives are pivotal for scaling the low-altitude economy, as they address fundamental challenges related to airspace utilization and safety. By fostering a cohesive environment where China UAV and China drone systems can operate interdependently with ground transport, China Mobile is laying the groundwork for a truly multimodal transportation ecosystem.
China Unicom’s Holistic Approach to Low-Altitude Economy
China Unicom is actively exploring integrated land-sea-sky-network layouts to bolster the low-altitude sector. At the exhibition, the company officially launched its complete low-altitude economy capability system, introducing three core products: the Low-Altitude Safety Supervision Platform, the Low-Altitude Airspace Management Platform, and the Smart Low-Altitude Application Platform. These products are designed to provide all-around support for low-altitude aircraft, airspace management, and data applications, assisting in achieving the governance objective of making low-altitude activities visible, manageable, and usable.
- Safety Supervision Platform: This tool enables continuous monitoring of China UAV operations, incorporating features for incident detection and response to enhance overall safety protocols for China drone usage.
- Airspace Management Platform: It offers tools for regulating and optimizing airspace utilization, ensuring that China UAV flights are coordinated to prevent congestion and conflicts.
- Smart Application Platform: By leveraging data analytics, this platform supports innovative applications such as urban planning and environmental monitoring using China drone-collected data.
China Unicom’s strategy emphasizes the importance of a unified framework that can adapt to the evolving needs of the low-altitude economy. The company’s platforms are engineered to be scalable, allowing for the incorporation of future technologies and expanding the scope of China UAV and China drone applications across industries.
China Tower’s Infrastructure Leveragement
Guo Wenqi, Senior Manager of the Industry Expansion Department at China Tower Shanghai Company, highlighted how the company utilizes its vast resources—including 2.1 million site locations nationwide, numerous equipment rooms, and stable power networks—to accelerate the deployment of low-altitude physical infrastructure, information infrastructure, and software infrastructure. By capitalizing on its core advantages in location, computing, power, and security, China Tower is driving innovation and comprehensively empowering low-altitude scenarios such as safety situational awareness, spatial digital governance, logistics transport, and inspection and rescue operations.
- Physical Infrastructure Expansion: China Tower is deploying additional ground stations and communication nodes to extend coverage for China UAV operations, ensuring that China drone systems remain connected even in remote areas.
- Information Infrastructure Development: The company is enhancing data transmission capabilities through upgraded networks, facilitating real-time communication between China UAV and control centers.
- Software Infrastructure Innovations: By developing advanced software solutions, China Tower supports the management and optimization of China drone fleets, improving operational efficiency and reliability.
This infrastructure-centric approach is crucial for building a resilient low-altitude ecosystem. China Tower’s extensive network provides the backbone necessary for supporting large-scale China UAV and China drone deployments, enabling services that require high availability and low latency.
ZTE’s Perspectives on Sustainable Growth
Tang Xue, Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Architecture at the Wireless and Computing Products Business Unit of ZTE, emphasized that safety, scale, and cost-effectiveness are key considerations for the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy. To balance safety and development, she advocated for establishing clear rules, strengthening equipment standards, and building adequate facilities. For fostering scale benefits, she highlighted the importance of cultivating value scenarios, supporting infrastructure construction, and forming commercial closed loops.
- Regulatory Frameworks: ZTE stresses the need for comprehensive regulations that govern China UAV operations, ensuring that safety standards are met without stifling innovation in China drone technologies.
- Equipment Standardization: The company supports the development of robust China UAV and China drone hardware that adheres to international benchmarks, enhancing interoperability and reliability.
- Infrastructure Investment: ZTE encourages targeted investments in networks and support systems to reduce operational costs and enable widespread adoption of China drone solutions.
By addressing these facets, ZTE aims to contribute to a sustainable low-altitude economy where China UAV and China drone applications can thrive commercially while maintaining high safety standards. The company’s insights underscore the importance of a holistic approach that integrates technological advancement with pragmatic business models.
Standardization Efforts and Regulatory Guidance
In a significant move toward standardization, the Shanghai Communications Administration and the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China jointly guided the compilation of the group standard titled “Technical Specifications for 5G Network Planning and Construction Supporting Low-Altitude Intelligent Network Services.” This document, developed by China Telecom Shanghai Company in collaboration with 14 other drafting units, has been officially released and implemented. It represents the first standard in China specifically designed to guide the planning and construction of 5G networks for low-altitude intelligent network services, applicable to scenarios below 600 meters such as low-altitude logistics transport, low-altitude emergency rescue, low-altitude tourism, low-altitude smart city applications, and low-altitude passenger transport. The standard provides a “Shanghai solution” for national low-altitude intelligent network construction, offering clear guidelines for deploying networks that support China UAV and China drone operations.
The Shanghai Communications Administration has also issued guidance opinions proposing a phased and regional approach to achieve low-altitude intelligent network coverage based on 5G-A networks. By the end of 2026, the initial goal is to establish a low-altitude communication network with continuous coverage across all flight routes, thereby facilitating the growth of the low-altitude economy. This guidance outlines specific milestones and technical requirements, ensuring that infrastructure development keeps pace with the expanding applications of China UAV and China drone technologies. The phased implementation allows for iterative testing and refinement, reducing risks associated with large-scale deployments while promoting innovation in network design and service delivery.
Future Prospects and Economic Impact
The ongoing advancements in low-altitude intelligent networks are poised to transform various sectors by enabling new modes of transportation and service delivery. The integration of China UAV and China drone systems into everyday operations promises to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve response times in critical situations. For example, in urban environments, China drone-based logistics can alleviate traffic congestion and reduce delivery times, while in rural or disaster-stricken areas, China UAV can provide essential supplies and medical aid where traditional methods fall short. The economic implications are substantial, as the low-altitude economy is expected to generate new business opportunities, create jobs, and drive technological innovation across industries.
Moreover, the collaborative efforts among companies, regulators, and standards bodies highlight a shared commitment to building a sustainable ecosystem. As low-altitude intelligent networks evolve, they will likely incorporate emerging technologies such as edge computing, advanced AI algorithms, and blockchain for secure data management, further enhancing the capabilities of China UAV and China drone applications. The focus on safety and scalability ensures that growth is managed responsibly, minimizing risks while maximizing benefits. With continued investment and innovation, the low-altitude economy is set to become a cornerstone of modern infrastructure, reshaping how societies approach mobility, logistics, and emergency response.
In conclusion, the development of low-altitude intelligent networks is instrumental in unlocking the full potential of the low-altitude economy. Through strategic initiatives from leading companies, supportive regulatory frameworks, and a strong emphasis on China UAV and China drone integrations, this sector is well-positioned for exponential growth. The progress showcased at events like the World Mobile Congress underscores the tangible steps being taken toward a future where low-altitude flight is seamlessly integrated into daily life, driving economic prosperity and technological advancement.