Mobile AI is drastically changing network demand, particularly by increasing uplink traffic from applications like industrial video and 3D streaming. Huawei is leading in this space with its 5G-Advanced (5G-A) solutions catering to the change. At MWC Shanghai 2025, Counterpoint Research Director Marc Einstein sat down with Bao Bisai, VP of Huawei's 5G & LTE FDD Domain, to talk about Huawei's Agentic RAN solution, featuring GigaGreen hardware and GigaBand software. The solution enables some critical upgrades, including uplink speeds of over 1Gbps, widespread AI connectivity, and smart resource management.

The Interview

Key Takeaways from the Discussion:

• Mobile AI is Reshaping Network Demand: Huawei has noted a major shift from downlink-heavy to more balanced uplink/downlink demand due to mobile AI applications like industrial video inspection and 3D livestreaming, with uplink traffic growing rapidly.

• Three Core Network Upgrades Needed: To support mobile AI, networks need 1) uplink speeds over 1Gbps via super uplink technologies; 2) ubiquitous AI connectivity across urban and remote areas; and 3) intelligent, real-time resource scheduling for personalized experiences.

• Huawei’s Agentic RAN Solution: Huawei introduced a full-stack solution including GigaGreen hardware (improved spectrum efficiency and energy saving), GigaBand software (efficient spectrum refarming for uplink), and SA architecture upgrades (reduced latency and enhanced speeds).

• Commercial Deployment Success: Huawei’s innovations have been successfully deployed, including the world’s first five-band NR network with CMHK in Hong Kong, improving the iPhone 15’s performance and uplink bandwidth by over 80%.

• Ecosystem Collaboration Essential: Huawei emphasizes industry-wide coordination – aligning architecture (business, device, network, cloud), fostering value/risk-sharing partnerships, and developing unified global standards and certification systems.

• 5G-AI Era Requires Openness and Global Momentum: The ecosystem must include diverse partners (e.g. auto, robotics, LLMs) for the AI-powered 5G era to flourish, with Huawei positioning itself as a global leader in driving this transformation.

Analyst Take:

• Telcos are starting to discover new use cases for 5G-A, but many of them require improved uplink speeds, which were not possible using previous versions of mobile technology.

• Even with the latest mobile network hardware and software, there are other issues, such as using spectrum efficiently and controlling power consumption, which are factors that telcos need to consider when designing next-generation networks.

• More industry cooperation is needed with respect to standardisation and openness in terms of technology roadmaps to accelerate innovation in the industry.