ZTE's SVP Sun Fangping: Leading intelligent network deployment to a fully-connected world

Currently, the ICT industry plays a core role in promoting the development of the digital economy based on the digital foundation. The rapid, extensive, and in-depth application of AI technologies is also continuously promoting cross-industry integration and accelerating social progress. According to the analysis, many network operators in the information and communication industry, building on the benefits of connectivity, are increasingly focusing on network enablement, AI-driven flexible services, and customer value management. In this process, the digitalization and intelligence of network services have become the core capability of implementing AI in communication network construction. Focusing on customer value, ZTE provides a full-stack and full-scenario intelligent computing solution involving computing power, networks, capabilities, intelligence, and applications, while driving widespread AI empowerment.

Sun Fangping, Senior Vice President of ZTE and President of Global Services, stated: "In the wave of industry transformation, as a driver of digital economy, ZTE is committed to leading the future development of intelligent network deployment, continuously promoting the intelligent process in the full lifecycle of network services, creating extremely efficient networks and ultimate experience. We are working together with global partners to usher in a fully connected, sustainable, and digitally advanced new era."

AI Empowerment: Driving Innovation and Development of Intelligent Service Capabilities

 • High-speed telecommunication network construction

At present, full-scenario coverage and end-to-end digital solutions have become core competitiveness in the engineering delivery field. ZTE's digital delivery platform iEPMS , which fully supports end-to-end digital management for wireless and OSP projects, continues to advance the digitalization process of project management and business development. The iEPMS 4.0 newly released in 2024 further enhances its digital capabilities, utilizing GIS maps and AI algorithms to automate HLD design, visualize progress tracking, and enable online quality management, significantly improving operational and management efficiency during project delivery.

In the face of the increasingly diversified communication network ecosystem and complex and changing network scenarios, with the self-developed Nebula Telecom Large Model as the basis, ZTE’s intelligent technology delivery platform iTech breaks the limitations of the traditional network architecture and achieves in-depth interconnection between single-domain and cross-domain agents, creating a symbiotic system ecology based on multi-agent collaboration. This innovation leads the innovation of the network technology delivery mode, which enables continuous network thinking and continuous service evolution.

ZTE's intelligent O&M services, relying on the AIMind O&M management platform and VMAX big data analysis platform, provide customers with hierarchical, domain-based, and layered evolution of intelligent O&M capabilities to create an integrated, intelligent network that covers network, services, and user experience. Based on AI technology, these services effectively predict potential network faults, quickly locate the root causes of network failures and user complaints, and provide precise network expansion solutions, helping operators achieve digital transformation and improve investment returns.

 • Computing infrastructure construction

At present, computing infrastructure, as the "new fuel" for the digital economy, has become a core driving force for digital transformation of the global economy. By virtue of its end-to-end one-stop collaborative delivery experience in the data center field for 16 years, ZTE has continuously built a "green, reliable, fast, and intelligent" highly available data centers for customers. By using BIM 5D spatiotemporal analysis and simulation to accurately control delivery quality and progress, and employing AI-powered end-user air conditioning and group control for efficient and energy-saving operation and maintenance, ZTE supports rapid deployment and large-scale delivery in global markets, providing support for building intelligent computing centers worldwide.

Collaborative Success: Enabling Intelligent Innovation to Enhance Customer Network Value

In an OSP construction project in an African country, ZTE utilized its iEPMS V4.0 digital delivery platform to automate the output of construction acceptance documentation by leveraging data collected from quality work orders, achieving a 90% increase in document production efficiency, with an accuracy rate of 100%. In 2024, iEPMS was deeply applied in 15 OSP projects in 12 countries around the world.

AIS, a leading mobile communication operator in Thailand, has 2/3/4/5G frequency bands coexisting in its network, and the equipment type and network structure are complicated. As a strategic partner of AIS, ZTE has built an end-to-end intelligent solution for AIS, covering precision planning of single domains, automatic optimization of AAPC antenna weights, virtual drive testing, NQI, and cross-domain VMAX-S intelligent processing for the entire domain, effectively improving network delivery efficiency, network performance and user experience. It is reported that the number of 5G users of AIS has increased continuously in recent years, greatly improving the digital life experience of users.

Near the East African Lake Victoria, ZTE, as a long-term partner of MTN, provides cutting-edge network equipment for MTN Uganda, and is fully responsible for the customer's network O&M services. With user experience enhancement as the core goal, ZTE provided intelligent SOC services, transforming network O&M digitally. ZTE's efforts resulted in superior user experiences for MTN Uganda, maintaining an NPS leadership for 14 consecutive quarters and achieving double-digit growth in both users and network traffic.

In addition, ZTE's big-model-driven intelligent network O&M support assistant has been successfully applied in the communication guarantee of many major events such as the 2024 World Internet Conference and the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou, greatly improving preventive maintenance efficiency, network management O&M efficiency, site-visit operation efficiency, and APP handheld O&M capability, setting a model for intelligent network O&M transformation.

In the field of computing power infrastructure construction, ZTE has built many high-standard data centers in countries such as China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Algeria. For example, ZTE's collaboration with BIT to build the Philippines data center project won the 2024 W.Media "Data Center Digital Technology Application" award. By the end of 2024, ZTE's data center products had over 450 project cases globally, with more than 2.8 million square meters of server room area, accelerating the digital transformation of various industries.

Building a Fully Connected World with Digital Inclusion

In the global digital transformation era, technology should shine in every corner. In 2024, in the joint project “Enhancing Rural Area” with Orange Liberia, ZTE deployed 128 green solar-powered communication sites, which has enabled more than 580,000 users in remote areas to integrate into the digital world and helped bridge the digital divide. It is worth mentioning that this project is also shortlisted in the 2025 GLOMO Award. Today, more sites are taking root in this land, helping to keep the light of hope for connecting with the future.

Facing the challenge of frequent natural disasters in the world, ZTE has achieved rapid response and efficient rescue to disasters through the intelligent emergency response system and ubiquitous digital base. From the Shigatse earthquake to the "Capricorn" typhoon, and from the floods in Mentou Gou in Beijing to the rainstorm on Hulu Island in Liaoning province, ZTE has been on the front line of rescue, building a "lifeline" for communications in the disaster-stricken areas, and lighting up the hopes of the affected people.

Talent is the core driving force for the development of the communication industry. In 2024, ZTE collaborated with over 700 global standard alliances and industry organizations, and more than 200 universities and research institutes, to promote the exchange and sharing of global communications technologies and the prosperity of the industry.

Looking forward to the future, ZTE, with a more open attitude and firmer pace, will work with global partners to explore the new boundaries of intelligent network services, and lay a solid digital foundation for digital light to warm every corner of the world.