many users in guangdong have recently noticed that the "5g" indicator on their mobile phones has changed to "5g-a." the addition of "a" signifies the official commercial rollout of 5g-advanced (also known as "5.5g") technology. as an evolution of 5g, 5g-a offers a 10-fold increase in speed, achieving millisecond-level ultra-low latency and centimeter-level positioning accuracy, thereby unlocking vast application prospects.
mobile communication technologies typically undergo generational upgrades every decade. due to rapid technological iterations and significant intergenerational gaps, transitional versions are introduced midway through the cycle, previous examples including 2.5g, 3.5g, and 4.5g. as an enhanced evolution of 5g, 5.5g not only paves the way for 6g but also propels transformations in areas like intelligent connectivity, industrial internet, and other sectors, reshaping the future digital lifestyle.
in terms of speed, 5g-a delivers a 10-fold faster experience. compared to the early stages of 5g, the peak data download rate has leaped from 1 gbps to 10 gbps, providing the necessary high bandwidth, low latency, and high reliability to support innovative services like extended reality (xr) and naked-eye 3d. simultaneously, the peak data upload rate has increased from 100 mbps to 1 gbps, enabling cloud migration of massive data, popularizing live streaming, and achieving symmetrical experiences in holographic interactions.
regarding latency, 5g-a achieves millisecond-level ultra-low latency and supports centimeter-level positioning accuracy. this advancement, compared to the meter-level positioning accuracy of early 5g, significantly reduces data transmission time and enhances the responsiveness of network devices. this is crucial for application scenarios requiring real-time interaction and precise positioning.
last march, china mobile announced the first batch of 100 cities with commercial 5g-a networks, including 15 cities in guangdong. this year, the coverage is set to expand to over 300 cities in china.
notably, guangdong has made remarkable achievements in 5g network construction. by the end of 2024, the province had built a total of 402,000 5g base stations, ranking first in china.
5g-a has been implemented across various scenarios in guangdong. on the farmlands of zengcheng, guangzhou, live streaming activities leverage the commercial advantages of 5g-a, delivering clear and stable visuals with upload speeds exceeding 500 mbps and far surpassing those of standard 5g. during the 2025 shenzhen-hong kong marathon, 5g-a provided full-process inspection and support, ensuring seamless event coordination and smart clearance for athletes. in nansha, guangzhou, the pearl bay three-dimensional transportation system deployed a 5g-a low-altitude integrated sensing test network to assist autonomous vehicles in accurately perceiving road conditions, enhancing driving efficiency and safety.
new technologies like integrated sensing and communication (isac) in 5g-a inject strong vitality into the low-altitude economy. the letian tourist camp of qingyuan, guangdong, in collaboration with network operators, launched china's first "lowaltitude + cultural tourism" isac network test and established base stations to collect real-time flight information for route planning and monitor 24/7 as electronic fences, enhancing safety supervision. shenzhen is also proactively deploying isac test base stationsacross districts to create china's largest 5g-a low-altitude sensing network.
source: lingnan on the cloud
5g-a速率10倍提升！广东正加速部署
最近，不少广东用户发现自己手机右上角的标识由“5g”变成了“5g-a”。新增的“a”标志着5g-advanced（又称“5.5g”）技术正式商用落地。5g-a作为5g技术的演进版本，速率提升10倍，能实现毫秒级超低延迟与厘米级定位精度，应用前景广阔。
据悉，移动通信技术一般每10年更新一代，因技术迭代快、代际差距大，需在十年周期中间引入过渡版本，此前已有2.5g、3.5g、4.5g等中间形态。5.5g作为5g技术的演进增强版，其商用不仅为6g铺路，还将推动智能网联、工业互联等领域变革，重塑未来数字生活。
具体而言，在速率方面，5g-a带来了10倍的更高速率体验。相较于5g初期，数据下载最高速率从千兆跃升至万兆，这一提升为扩展现实、裸眼3d等创新业务提供了必要的大带宽、低时延和高可靠性支撑。同时，数据上传最高速率也从百兆提升至千兆，使得海量数据能够全面上云端，推动直播全民化，并实现全息交互的对称体验。
在延迟方面，5g-a实现了毫秒级的超低延迟，并支持厘米级的定位精度。这一进步相较于5g初期只能达到的米级定位精度，极大地缩短了数据传输时间，提升了应用网络设备的响应速度。这对于需要实时交互和精准定位的应用场景来说，具有至关重要的意义。
去年3月，中国移动公布首批100个5g-a网络商用城市名单，广东有15个城市在列。今年，其覆盖范围将扩展至全国超300个城市。
值得注意的是，广东在5g网络建设方面成果显著，截至2024年底，广东累计建成5g基站40.2万座，5g基站数量位居全国第一。
5g-a技术在广东的多场景落地开花。在广州增城田间，直播活动借5g-a商用优势，直播画面清晰稳定，上行速率超500mbps，远超普通5g；2025深港马拉松赛上，5g-a全程值守巡检，保障赛事衔接与运动员智慧通关；广州南沙明珠湾立体交通系统部署5g-a低空通感试验网络，助力无人驾驶汽车精准感知路况，提升行驶效能与安全。
5g-a引入通感一体等新技术，为低空经济注入强劲活力。广东清远乐天游营地携手运营商，开启国内首个低空文旅通感一体组网测试并开通基站，可实时获取飞行信息辅助规划路线，全天候监测形成电子围栏，强化监管保障游客安全。深圳也在多区超前部署低空通感试验基站，打造全国最大规模5g-a低空通感网络。
文、图丨记者 潘亮 实习生 吕文敏
翻译丨柯妃娟
审校丨曾敏
