China Unicom and ZTE unveil 5GAxI innovative solution at MWC Barcelona 2025

• China Unicom and ZTE jointly release 5G^AxI, ushering a new chapter of ubiquitous intelligent connectivity in the AI Era
• 5G^AxI integrates the technological advancements of 5G-A with the deep empowerment of AI, leveraging the base station Native-AI engine AIREngine to deliver exceptional performance and diverse service capabilities for universal intelligence

Barcelona, Spain, 5 March 2025 - ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, in partnership with China Unicom, today has released 5G^AxI, a converged and innovative solution for the AI era at MWC Barcelona 2025. It integrates the technological advancements of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) with the deep empowerment of Artificial Intelligence (AI), delivering exceptional performance and diverse service capabilities to 5G networks, marking the dawn of a new era of ubiquitous intelligent connectivity.

The 5G^AxI solution, built on the foundation of base station Native-AI, drives a comprehensive transformation and upgrade of 5G networks through three key layers: intelligent technology, intelligent network, and intelligent services. The intelligent technology facilitates the smart evolution and performance optimization of infrastructure, ensuring zero coverage blind, zero capacity congestion, and zero-experience fluctuation, establishing a solid intelligent foundation. The intelligent network leverages digital twin technology and an intelligent orchestration brain to achieve precise resource scheduling via task-driven, while the base station Native-AI engine, AIREngine, delivers differentiated service experiences, guaranteed deterministic connectivity, and enhanced O&M efficiency, creating a high-quality and efficient network ecosystem. Intelligent services, serving as an external empowerment interface, utilize scenario-based applications and open capabilities to flexibly meet the personalized needs of B2C and B2B markets, acting as a new engine for driving innovative business models.

Wang Rui, General Manager of 5G Network Sharing Group, China Unicom, stated, "The rapid advancement of generative AI is sparking innovation and integration across industries. China Unicom's "5G^AxI industry action plan" strengthens the synergy between 5G-A and AI, enabling mutual empowerment. By embedding Native-AI into base stations, 5G^AxI boosts network intelligence, responsiveness, and multi-objective optimization, delivering a dual advantage of energy efficiency and an enhanced service experience. It also introduces "connectivity + computing" services at the edge, fostering collaboration across cloud, edge and terminal, and driving AI adoption across sectors. The 5G^AxI joint innovation has been deployed in over 100 cities nationwide. Through the action plan, China Unicom is accelerating technological progress, broadening applications, fostering a thriving ecosystem, and promoting win-win partnerships."

Zhang Wanchun, Senior Vice President of ZTE, introduced that AI is fundamentally shaping the global industrial landscape. Large models such as DeepSeek and Grok are driving human exploration of intelligent frontiers from diverse perspectives. Mobile networks—serving as critical edge infrastructure—are gaining prominence for their unique strengths, playing a pivotal role in enabling seamless and ubiquitous intelligent connectivity. Leveraging base station Native-AI, 5G^AxI delivers precise service awareness, deep network insights, agile resource management, and reliable experience assurance and on-demand access to low-latency edge computing. This empowers the rise of innovative AI services through seamless connectivity and computing anytime, anywhere, and laying a robust foundation for universal intelligence.

Moving forward, China Unicom and ZTE will collaborate with global partners to advance innovation in 5G and AI convergence, accelerating the adoption of cutting-edge solutions. By further enhancing the 5G^AxI ecosystem, the two companies will inject continuous power to build a smarter, more connected world, delivering greater value to industry development and societal progress.

For more information, please visit the ZTE booth (3F30, Hall 3, Fira Gran Via) at MWC Barcelona 2025 or explore: https://www.zte.com.cn/global/about/exhibition/mwc25.html