How 5G Is Steering the Future of Autonomous Driving and Industry Applications

Conference Overview

The TVP 5G Technology Sharing Conference, held on July 16, gathered 13 industry and technology experts to explore the current state and future direction of 5G applications, with a focus on autonomous driving scenarios.

Li Shan’s Keynote: 5G Fusion Applications

Li Shan, Director of the Wireless Application and Industry Research Department at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), presented the keynote titled “Sailing Ahead with 5G Fusion Applications.” She reviewed three years of 5G commercialization, highlighting policy support, rapid growth of industry projects (over 12,000 nationwide in 2021), and the increasing demand for edge computing, AI, big data, and cloud services.

Industry Application Highlights

Industrial sector: 5G enables remote control of mining and port equipment, supporting high‑bandwidth, low‑latency operations.

Power sector: 5G improves grid protection, data collection, and emergency communications.

Healthcare: 5G enhances medical information systems and service capabilities.

Cultural tourism: 5G + tourism creates smart scenic spots and digital cultural experiences.

Challenges and Recommendations

Li Shan identified three core challenges for scaling 5G applications: insufficient ecosystem capabilities, weak cross‑industry collaboration, and limited depth of integration. She recommended strengthening top‑level design, fostering industry cooperation, and building an innovation system that bridges 5G with cloud, edge, and AI.

Tan Hua’s Presentation: 5G To B Trends

Tan Hua, Director of Industrial Internet Technology R&D at China Telecom Research Institute and TVP Innovation Center, outlined the evolution of 5G networks (global SA deployment, China’s leadership) and the need for cloud‑native architectures, bi‑directional remote control, and real‑time data collaboration across cloud, edge, and devices. He described north‑bound data‑to‑cloud pipelines and south‑bound industrial control cloudification, emphasizing MEC‑based edge intelligence for low‑latency use cases.

Mining Applications

Ma Wei, Chairman of Sany Smart Mining and TVP Industry Ambassador, discussed the harsh conditions of underground and open‑pit mines, the cost pressures, and labor shortages. He illustrated how 5G’s high bandwidth, low latency, and massive connectivity enable 5G‑enabled smart mining, remote operation of drilling equipment, and cloud‑based coordination platforms.

Port Autonomous Driving

Yang Zheng, Co‑founder and CTO of Feibu Technology and TVP Industry Ambassador, presented the challenges of deploying autonomous trucks in ports, including mixed‑traffic environments, positioning interference from metal structures, and safety requirements. He described Feibu’s full‑stack perception‑planning‑control solution, 5G‑based remote intelligent driving with emergency takeover, and successful pilots at Ningbo Zhoushan and Nantong ports.

Round‑Table Discussion: 5G + V2X and the Future of Unmanned Driving

The round‑table, moderated by Zhai You, featured experts from Next Engine, GAC Research Institute, Tencent Cloud, and others. Topics covered 5G‑enabled smart cabins, low‑latency remote control, edge‑cloud integration, data‑security regulations, and the realistic path toward scenario‑based unmanned driving in controlled environments such as mines and ports.

Conclusion

The conference concluded that 5G’s high‑speed, low‑latency, and massive‑connection capabilities are a decisive catalyst for autonomous driving and broader industry digitalization. Continued policy support, ecosystem development, and cross‑industry collaboration are essential to turn 5G potential into tangible, large‑scale applications.