“ZTE, as one of the global leaders, providing integrated telecommunication solutions, is working hard to promote technology innovations around the world.”
ZTE Ukraine Director Juan Mingxi.
Mr. Mingxi, your company is engaged in the development and implementation of innovative telecommunication solutions in Ukraine. How long have you been working in the Ukrainian market?
ZTE entered the Ukrainian market in 2003, and currently works closely with Ukraine major telecom operators and enterprises. Generally speaking, system equipment and terminal devices produced by ZTE are widely presented in Ukraine. Among mobile operators, we are actively working with Kyivstar and Vodafone, acting as one of the biggest suppliers in the field of wireless technologies and technologies for the core network. We also promote solutions and products for fixed networks, in this area we are working closely with Ukraine’s largest fixed broadband operator Ukrtelecom. ZTE is also ready to expand its presence in the corporate and public sectors, taking part in the implementation of Ukraine national program for the digital transformation of economy.
Digitalization of the economy is an extremely popular concept in recent years. Without exaggeration, it is one of the priority tasks both on the government level and on the corporate level. What new values and possibilities can ZTE introduce to the digital transformation of Ukraine?
Today, digitalization is rapidly gaining momentum, all the countries in the world have entered the era of digital economy.
IDC predicts that by 2021, at least 50% of global GDP will be generated by digital technology. Digital goods, digital services, digital management and digital ecosystem will become the basis for stable economic growth and an incentive for the ongoing innovative transformation of each economy sector. We are pleased to note that the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian telecom operators are paying much attention to this topic. As follows from Ukraine Concept for the Development of the Digital Economy and Society for 2018–2020, the complete digital transformation of all the economy sectors is considered as an extremely important task for the country.
New technologies that contribute to the development of digital economy are constantly appearing in the picture, and the key to future success is hidden in the ability to master and apply the latest technologies.
Software-defined infrastructure, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, Internet of things, 5G, chipsets, Smart city (including smart solutions for e-government, education, medicine, public safety, finance, etc.) and other next generation information technologies will have a profound influence on the development of the production sector in the future. And ZTE, as a provider of innovative products and solutions, is a valuable contributor in this process.
What is 5G technology and how does it influence the development of a country’s economy?
As I noted above, digital economy assumes that digital knowledge and information data are key factors in production, and the efficient use of ICT technology is becoming the main driving force for economic activity. At the same time, modern information networks are getting the role of the most important intermediary.
The introduction of 5G will allow communication networks to solve more complex technical problems, and therefore facilitating business tasks. Due to the possibility of organizing high-speed broadband Internet access (more than 1 gigabyte per second), services such as VR, AR and HD 8K video will be launched. Then, services requiring low latency will be distributed: autonomous driving, drones, robots, etc. In parallel, services based on massive connections and the Internet of things will be introduced.
For ZTE, the development and implementation of integrated 5G end-to-end solutions is a strategic development direction. The company has done a lot of work in areas such as 5G wireless base stations, core network, transport network, terminal devices, standardization, commercial testing, industry ecosystem, etc., making the company one of the industry leaders in 5G. Up to June, 2019, ZTE has obtained 35 commercial 5G contracts in major 5G markets such as Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA, etc, and has established solid cooperation on 5G with more than 60 operators worldwide.
5G is not only a new generation of mobile communications, but also the basis for the future development of the Internet of everything. With the final adoption of the 5G standard, fifth-generation communications will accelerate commercialization. Smart city, industrial Internet, inter vehicle communication, and many other application scenarios will become widespread and will be considered as a universal given. New generation mobile networks will change everything around, shape a new “smart” world, they will become an important driver for the development of digital economy.
However, before the 5G standard will come to the Ukrainian market, what does ZTE offer its partners?
In the carrier segment, we mainly promote equipment and solutions for 4G \ LTE and Pre- 5G networks in the Ukrainian market. We see Pre-5G as a current opportunity to use key 5G technologies on 4G devices: even before the operators completely switch to the fifth generation standard, customers can get a user experience comparable to 5G.
ZTE has served more than 160 commercial LTE/EPC networks around the world and the accumulated global shipment share of 4G base stations accounts for about one fifth.
ZTE has built over 450 commercial and test NFV networks worldwide, including Ukraine. In terms of technical competitiveness of NBIoT products, the company is also among the global leaders.
Another area where ZTE demonstrates mature technical competencies is ICT solutions for the public and corporate sectors. ZTE comprehensive intellectual solutions for Smart City help government agencies and companies to digitally transform their activities, significantly increasing their efficiency. Such solutions meet the requirements of cybersecurity and, overall, guarantee a more effective, safe and intelligent approach to the informatization of society.
In addition, ZTE promotes its terminal devices worldwide and has developed serial and diversified product portfolios for 5G terminal devices.
In the first half of 2019, «ZTE Axon 10 Pro» 5G, one of the stars in the product portfolio of ZTE terminal devices, was launched in various countries.
Your company takes a leading position in information and communication technologies developments. Could you tell us more about the innovative activities of your company?
ZTE, as one of the global leaders in the supply of integrated telecommunication solutions, is making every effort to promote innovation, actively investing in 5G, the Internet of Things, chipsets, cloud computing and other advanced technologies. By June 30, 2019, ZTE had applied more than 74,000 patents with over 36,000 global patents granted and over 3,700 5G patents. For nine consecutive years, ZTE has been among the top five leaders in the number of patent applications of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
