During the Voice of the Industry session “From Network Innovation to Measurable Business Value”, ZTE emphasized that the industry is reaching a turning point.

While fiber networks have achieved unprecedented levels of speed, reliability and performance, revenue growth for many operators has not kept pace with this rapid technological progress.

Today, the core challenge lies not in the network itself, but in how its performance is translated into user experience and, ultimately, commercial value.

“Broadband networks have never been more advanced, yet this has not automatically resulted in stronger revenue growth,” said Hans Neff, deputy CTO of European and American Regions at ZTE. “The industry must shift its focus beyond traditional network metrics and start managing what truly matters, user experience and customer behavior.”

Currently, operators have historically prioritized network-centric indicators such as bandwidth and latency. While these remain important, they no longer fully capture the quality of service as perceived by end users.

In reality, customer satisfaction is shaped by everyday digital experiences, from uninterrupted video streaming to reliable remote working and seamless smart home connectivity.

When these experiences fall short, the impact is reflected not in network dashboards, but in customer churn, reduced service adoption and limited willingness to pay.

In this context, ZTE introduced a new value framework that connects network performance to business outcomes through user experience and customer behavior.

The company stressed that value is often lost at the experience layer, while customer behavior ultimately determines monetization success.

Understanding and influencing this chain has therefore become essential for operators seeking to unlock the full potential of their broadband investments.

To address this challenge, the company advocates the evolution toward intelligent broadband networks that integrate real-time analytics, artificial intelligence and closed-loop automation.

Such capabilities allow operators to gain deeper visibility into user experience, proactively identify and resolve service issues, and continuously optimize network performance from an end-user perspective.

This transformation enables a shift from reactive operations to experience-driven service management.

Home environment is getting more and more important, where many service quality issues originate.

By extending visibility and control into the home, operators can ensure consistent service delivery and create new opportunities for engagement and value creation.

This home-centric approach is expected to play a critical role in enabling differentiated service offerings and improving overall customer satisfaction.

As operators gain the ability to measure and manage experience more effectively, new monetization models begin to emerge.

These include experience-based pricing, premium service tiers tailored to specific user needs, and integrated smart home services that go beyond basic connectivity.

Such models represent a shift from volume-based competition to value-based differentiation, allowing operators to better align their offerings with customer expectations.

“Fiber creates connectivity, but experience creates value, and behavior creates revenue,” Neff added. “Operators who can successfully manage this chain will be best positioned to achieve sustainable growth in the years ahead.”

ZTE reaffirmed its commitment to supporting global operators in building intelligent, experience-driven networks that not only enhance service quality but also unlock new sources of revenue in the evolving broadband landscape.

• E-surfing Digital Life and ZTE jointly launch an FTTR-based ultra-fast intelligent computing center product for homes
• Integrating NAS, smart display, and AI, the product supports storage, album management, control, and energy-saving applications to create a home AI agent application ecosystem

ZTE Corporation, a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, and E-surfing Digital Life Technology Co., Ltd. (E-surfing Digital Life) have jointly unveiled the ultra-fast intelligent computing center for homes during the Digital Life Innovative Application Cooperation forum at the Digital Technology Ecosystem Conference.

Featuring “storage, computing, and green” capabilities, the product is based on FTTR technology and integrates NAS, smart display, and AI. It supports applications such as storage, album management, control, and energy savings, elevating smart home development to new heights.

The AI + FTTR all-optical network delivers exceptional all-optical connections with advanced perception capabilities.

The AI roaming policy algorithm reduces latency to just 10ms while the Multi-Link Operation (MLO) technology of Wi-Fi 7 ensures ultra-fast wireless coverage exceeding 2000Mbps.

Additionally, AI is utilized to accurately identify and prioritize sensitive services. Coordinated Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (Co-EDCA) and Multiple Resource Unit (MRU) technologies further reduce latency by 40%, enhancing the high-quality experience of home network services.

Storage: 

Photos can be instantly captured and transmitted to preserve cherished moments. The product supports distributed and scalable storage, offering up to 10TB of space for efficient storage of large files.

It features smart reminders, one-click upload, and cloud-end collaborative backup capabilities.

Additionally, it enables flexible access across multiple devices, including mobile phones and PCs, while ensuring robust data privacy and security.

Computing: 

Intelligent album sorting and multi-terminal sharing are seamlessly supported. The built-in AI engine enables smart home services, with precise identification and classification of people, objects, and places across multiple dimensions.

It offers diverse search options, including text, voice, and OCR, allowing users to quickly locate specific photos from vast libraries.

Green: 

Intelligent control of devices enhances energy efficiency. Integrated AI voice and intent recognition empower users to effortlessly manage smart appliances such as air conditioners, lamps, cameras, and sockets.

Predefined scenario modes, such as “leaving home” and “arriving home”, automatically trigger personalized energy-saving measures using wireless perception technology, advancing home energy conservation.

The ultra-fast intelligent computing center, built on an AI foundation and innovative “storage and computing integration” hardware, establishes a home AI agent application ecosystem.

The launch of this product signifies a complete renovation of China Telecom’s Wonderful Home and AI Home, aiming to strengthen value-added home service capabilities and enhance digital living experiences in energy saving, security, and smart scenarios.

As pioneers and seasoned practitioners in the digital life field, E-surfing Digital Life and ZTE will continue to strengthen their collaboration, stay aligned with AI development trends, and foster innovative productivity.

Together, they aim to unlock new scenarios, reshape patterns, and generate fresh momentum for the digital home ecosystem.

The announcement was made at the 18th Global Leaders Summit, organized by the renowned ICT media outlet Telecom Review, which concluded successfully in Dubai.

The Telecom Review Excellence Awards recognize industry participants who have made exceptional contributions to the development of the telecommunications sector through innovation.

In the wave of global digitalization and intelligence, achieving rapid digital transformation has become essential for meeting the growing demand for high-quality networks and exceptional user experiences.

As a leader in digital network deployment, ZTE utilizes big data and AI large models to build an intelligent brain, driving the evolution of networks toward higher-level intelligence.

ZTE’s intelligent O&M services begin at the network element level and extend across single-domain and cross-domain layers.

This approach ensures structured and domain-specific evolution of digital and intelligent O&M capabilities.

By deploying integrated, self-intelligent networks focused on performance, business requirements, and user experience, ZTE has supported numerous global operators in their digital transformation journeys.

Through its OSS O&M management platform and VMAX big data analysis platform, ZTE empowers operator clients to create real-time visual dashboards for dynamic presentations of network alarms, performance metrics, user experience data, and complaint handling information.

Leveraging AI technology, ZTE predicts potential faults and provides early warnings, enabling maintenance teams to take proactive measures.

It also forecasts network traffic and equipment capacity, assisting operators in precise expansion planning to maximize investment returns.

ZTE has made significant strides in network fault and complaint handling by enabling layered autonomy and cross-domain collaboration.

These innovations create an automated closed-loop process, equipping operators with “self-repair” and “self-optimization” capabilities in intelligent networks.

Over the past year, ZTE has partnered with multiple operators on managed service projects, delivering remarkable outcomes.

Overall O&M costs (OPEX) have decreased by over 15%, network traffic has increased by 10–20%, and user bases have grown by approximately 10–15%. Additionally, fault occurrence rates have dropped by 30%, while business quality indicators have improved by 15%.

Several partner operators have achieved top rankings in local third-party tests, digital maturity assessments, and user satisfaction surveys.

This award underscores ZTE’s dedication to advancing “active, automatic, and agile” high-level intelligent networks. It follows previous accolades, including the TM Forum Outstanding Catalyst Award and the W.Media Bridging the Digital Divide Award.

Moving forward, ZTE will continue to refine its proactive O&M model, driven by user perception and centered on the value O&M concept.

By doing so, ZTE aims to help global customers enhance network quality, unlock the potential of the digital economy, and embrace the future under high-level intelligent networks.

This milestone marks the largest scale commercial application of 5G-A ISAC stations, setting a solid foundation for the continued deployment of ISAC technology and achieving a historic breakthrough in aerial traffic management.

The integration of 5G-A low-altitude ISAC technology with critical blood transport lifelines ensures safer, more efficient, and more reliable medical logistics.

In Anyang, drone takeoff and landing ports and 5G-A ISAC low-altitude networks have been established at key locations such as Anyang Central Blood Station, the People’s Hospital of Anyang City, and the Oncology Hospital of Anyang City.

The deployment supports three critical medical scenarios: blood delivery, inter-campus hospital material logistics, and citywide medical alliance resource sharing.

Among them, route 1 covers 7.5 kilometers from the Anyang Central Blood Station to the People’s Hospital of Anyang City, while route 2 covers 1.68 kilometers from the Anyang Central Blood Station to the Oncology Hospital. Along both routes, drone takeoff and landing ports and 5G-A ISAC base stations have been established, creating a secure and reliable lifeline.

As a representative of new quality productive forces, the low-altitude economy holds tremendous development potential.

Key directions include reducing overall logistics costs, integrating platform economies, and pioneering new models that combine low-altitude flight with autonomous technology.

Globally, the low-altitude economy offers trillion-yuan market opportunities and has become a new engine for socioeconomic innovation.

Located in northern Henan Province, Anyang is one of the country’s pioneering civilian unmanned aviation test zones. As a leader in low-altitude economic innovation, Anyang has set the benchmark for developing this sector to the highest standards. China Unicom Henan is actively commercializing 5G-A ISAC technology, enhancing low-altitude network performance, and supporting the growth of this emerging industry.

This has enhanced the system’s visibility, manageability, and controllability for drone blood delivery operations. Additionally, during the commercial acceptance phase, rigorous testing was conducted to ensure the reliability of flight route management.

The 5G-A ISAC network demonstrated the capacity to sense over 20 drones with zero detection failures, ensuring the readiness and reliability of the low-altitude 5G-A sensing system.

Together, they aim to build a safe, orderly, and intelligent low-altitude ecosystem, fostering the growth of the low-altitude economy.