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！廣東正加速部署
最近，不少廣東用戶發現自己手機右上角的標識由「5g」變成了「5g-a」。新增的「a」標誌著5g-advanced（又稱「5.5g」）技術正式商用落地。5g-a作為5g技術的演進版本，速率提升10倍，能實現毫秒級超低延遲與厘米級定位精度，應用前景廣闊。
據悉，移動通信技術一般每10年更新一代，因技術迭代快、代際差距大，需在十年周期中間引入過渡版本，此前已有2.5g、3.5g、4.5g等中間形態。5.5g作為5g技術的演進增強版，其商用不僅為6g鋪路，還將推動智能網聯、工業互聯等領域變革，重塑未來數字生活。
具體而言，在速率方面，5g-a帶來了10倍的更高速率體驗。相較於5g初期，數據下載最高速率從千兆躍升至萬兆，這一提升為擴展現實、裸眼3d等創新業務提供了必要的大帶寬、低時延和高可靠性支撐。同時，數據上傳最高速率也從百兆提升至千兆，使得海量數據能夠全面上雲端，推動直播全民化，並實現全息交互的對稱體驗。
在延遲方面，5g-a實現了毫秒級的超低延遲，並支持厘米級的定位精度。這一進步相較於5g初期只能達到的米級定位精度，極大地縮短了數據傳輸時間，提升了應用網路設備的響應速度。這對於需要實時交互和精準定位的應用場景來說，具有至關重要的意義。
去年3月，中國移動公布首批100個5g-a網路商用城市名單，廣東有15個城市在列。今年，其覆蓋範圍將擴展至全國超300個城市。
值得注意的是，廣東在5g網路建設方面成果顯著，截至2024年底，廣東累計建成5g基站40.2萬座，5g基站數量位居全國第一。
5g-a技術在廣東的多場景落地開花。在廣州增城田間，直播活動借5g-a商用優勢，直播畫面清晰穩定，上行速率超500mbps，遠超普通5g；2025深港馬拉松賽上，5g-a全程值守巡檢，保障賽事銜接與運動員智慧通關；廣州南沙明珠灣立體交通系統部署5g-a低空通感試驗網路，助力無人駕駛汽車精準感知路況，提升行駛效能與安全。
5g-a引入通感一體等新技術，為低空經濟注入強勁活力。廣東清遠樂天游營地攜手運營商，開啟國內首個低空文旅通感一體組網測試並開通基站，可實時獲取飛行信息輔助規劃路線，全天候監測形成電子圍欄，強化監管保障遊客安全。深圳也在多區超前部署低空通感試驗基站，打造全國最大規模5g-a低空通感網路。
文、圖丨記者 潘亮 實習生 呂文敏
翻譯丨柯妃娟
審校丨曾敏
