China Tower outlines edge computing and 5G-A/6G push at PT Expo 2026
At the 2026 China International Information and Communication Exhibition in Beijing, China Tower Vice President Liu Guofeng announced the company's strategy for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, focusing on strengthening network foundations, deploying edge computing nodes, and fostering ecosystem cooperation. The company operates over 2.17 million tower sites and has built over 3.28 million 5G base station projects, saving the industry over 430 billion yuan through shared construction. China Tower has already converted over 270,000 communication towers into "digital towers" equipped with sensors and AI algorithms.
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China Tower to Deploy Edge Computing Nodes, Boost AI Infrastructure for Digital China
At the 2026 China International Information and Communication Exhibition in Beijing on September 23, China Tower Vice President Liu Guofeng outlined the company's strategy for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period. Liu stated that China Tower, as a state-owned digital infrastructure builder, will focus on three areas: strengthening network foundations, deploying edge computing, and fostering ecosystem cooperation. He announced plans to accelerate 5G-A/6G, low-altitude infrastructure, and indoor BeiDou positioning systems. Crucially, Liu revealed that China Tower will leverage its 2.17 million base station sites and millions of equipment rooms as natural edge computing nodes, building field-level and city-level edge computing nodes to provide shared infrastructure, computing power, and intelligent computing services. He said this will make computing power as accessible as water and electricity, serving AI application innovation and digital transformation across industries. China Tower has already converted over 270,000 communication towers into 'digital towers' equipped with sensors and AI algorithms, partnering with over 10,000 entities to serve sectors including国土 (land), environmental protection, transportation, and emergency response. The company also plans to expand into low-altitude economy and smart energy.
Read sourceChina Tower Has Over 270,000 Digital Towers, Plans Edge Computing Nodes
Liu Guofeng, Vice President of China Tower, announced at the 2026 China International Information and Communication Exhibition that the company is actively deploying edge computing nodes. He stated that China Tower, as a state-owned digital infrastructure builder, currently operates over 2.17 million tower sites and has built more than 3.28 million 5G base station projects. The company has saved the industry over 430 billion yuan in investment and operating costs through infrastructure sharing. For the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period, China Tower will focus on three areas: strengthening network infrastructure for 5G-A/6G and low-altitude economy; deploying on-site and city-level edge computing nodes to provide edge infrastructure and computing services; and transforming its towers into 'digital towers' and 'smart towers'. The company already has over 270,000 digital towers equipped with 5G, cameras, radar, and AI algorithms, serving sectors like environmental protection, transportation, and agriculture through partnerships with over 10,000 companies.
Read sourceChina Tower has over 270,000 digital towers, actively deploying edge computing nodes
On September 23, Liu Guofeng, Vice President of China Tower, stated at the 2026 China International Information and Communication Exhibition that the company is accelerating its digital, intelligent, and green evolution. China Tower, as a national team in digital infrastructure, has over 2.17 million tower sites and has built over 3.28 million 5G base station projects, saving the industry over 430 billion yuan through shared construction. Looking ahead to the '15th Five-Year Plan', China Tower will focus on three areas: strengthening network foundations by advancing 5G-A/6G and low-altitude infrastructure; promoting edge computing by leveraging its millions of rooms as natural edge nodes to provide computing services like utilities; and transforming communication towers into digital and intelligent towers. The company already has over 270,000 digital towers equipped with 5G, cameras, radar, and AI algorithms, collaborating with over 10,000 partners for applications in land, environmental, and low-altitude economy sectors.
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China Tower VP Liu Guofeng: Strengthen Digital Base, Deploy Edge Computing at PT Expo 2026
At the 2026 China International Information and Communication Exhibition on September 23, China Tower Vice President Liu Guofeng delivered a speech outlining the company's strategic focus for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Liu stated that the information and communications industry is accelerating toward digitalization, intelligence, and green development, with networks as the foundation, computing power as the driving force, and ecosystems as the future. He highlighted China Tower's role as a national team in digital infrastructure, noting it has built over 2.17 million tower sites and 3.28 million 5G base station projects, saving the industry over 430 billion yuan through sharing. Liu announced three key priorities: strengthening the digital base by advancing 5G-A/6G, low-altitude infrastructure, and satellite ground stations; deploying edge computing nodes at its millions of机房 nationwide to make computing power universally accessible; and transforming communication towers into digital and intelligent towers, with over 270,000 digital towers already equipped with AI algorithms and sensors for applications in国土, environmental protection, and low-altitude economy. He called for continued collaboration with industry partners to support network power and digital China.
Read sourceChina Tower Showcases 'Six Networks' AI and Digital Infrastructure at 2026 World Manufacturing Convention
At the 2026 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, China Tower demonstrated its transformation from a communication tower operator into a provider of digital and intelligent infrastructure. The company reported that by June 2026, it had built over 217 million tower sites and 620 million base stations, including 328 million 5G base stations, with a sharing rate of 86.2%. This has saved the industry over 430 billion yuan in investment and operating costs. China Tower has upgraded 260,000 communication towers into 'digital towers' equipped with AI cameras, radar, and sensors. The exhibition focused on six networks: water, power grid, computing, new-generation communication, underground pipelines, and logistics. Anhui province examples included drone-based power line inspections that reduced time from 50 minutes to 8 minutes, and a virtual power plant aggregating 316,000 sites. The company also showcased edge computing nodes, AI algorithms for various industries, and green energy solutions like solar-powered truck charging stations.