Beijing unveils three-year AI + information communication action plan, targeting integrated development by 2028

On September 21, the 2026 Beijing Internet Conference witnessed the official release of the Beijing AI + Information and Communication "Jingcai Zhilian" Action Plan (2026–2028). Jointly issued by the Beijing Communications Administration, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, and the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the plan sets a target for 2028: the initial establishment of a mutually reinforcing innovation ecosystem between artificial intelligence and information and communication technologies.

At the conference, the National Computing Power Interconnection (Beijing) Node also commenced trial operations.

Accelerating Innovation in 6G Native Networks

In Beijing's Yizhuang area, autonomous vehicles navigate streets and alleys. In Haidian, pioneers of open-source large models such as Zhipu AI and Moonshot AI continue to iterate. Over the past decade, mobile communications have centered on downlink bandwidth, serving a consumer internet era dominated by browsing, downloading, and streaming. Today, however, autonomous vehicles require real-time uploads of sensory data for optimal route analysis, AI glasses need instant image transmission, and embodied robots demand millisecond-level interaction. Data is moving massively "upward," driving a fundamental restructuring of the network infrastructure.

The Action Plan outlines a clear path:

• Promote deep integration and large-scale application of AI + 5G-A, deploying intelligent computing power in network equipment and leveraging technologies such as carrier aggregation and supplementary uplink to build high-uplink capacity.
• Optimize network experience for services including video links, AI agents, and embodied intelligence.
• Accelerate innovation in 6G native networks, tackling key technologies such as AI-native network architecture, communication-specific large models, and全域 computing power collaborative scheduling.

These initiatives are already taking shape. In July, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei announced continuous coverage of 5G-A 100 Mbps uplink commercial networks across key areas of Beijing. At the second World Humanoid Robot Games, over 2,000 embodied intelligent robots competed simultaneously, with end-to-end latency as low as 30 milliseconds, enabling robots to handle high-intensity events such as high-speed table tennis rallies and sudden directional changes in freestyle boxing.

By 2028, the plan envisions:

• Initial high-level autonomous intelligence in information and communication networks.
• Significantly enhanced endogenous intelligence.
• Deeper integration of computing-network collaboration and cloud-edge-device coordination.
• Sustained growth in intelligent computing power and advanced storage.
• A citywide millisecond-level computing network covering the entire region.
• Formation of high-value scenarios and a batch of typical applications and distinctive intelligent agents.

National Computing Power Interconnection (Beijing) Node Begins Trial Operation

At the conference, the National Computing Power Interconnection (Beijing) Node officially launched trial operations. The node aims to become a core national hub for computing power scheduling, supporting Beijing's goal of building a global digital economy benchmark city.

Lu Jianwen, Director of the Beijing Communications Administration, stated that the node's operation will continuously optimize the city's computing infrastructure layout, providing ample and flexible computing power for the development of new digital economy business models.

In August, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the list of national computing power interconnection regional nodes, selecting Beijing and 16 other provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). Currently, Beijing's total computing power has reached 82,000 P (1 P = 1 quadrillion calculations per second), with an additional 22,000 P added in the first half of the year.

The Action Plan further specifies computing power deployment:

• Build green and low-carbon computing facilities, prioritizing high-performance, scalable AI computing clusters.
• Improve the "Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Supercomputing + Industry" computing facility system.
• Promote the deployment of 400G and above high-speed optical transmission and all-optical cross-connect equipment in urban areas.
• Establish a "1 ms within Beijing, 5 ms within Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei" computing network latency circle.

In the future, the "data highway" between computing centers and application terminals will become even smoother.

Token Economy Expands Across Industries

In May, China's three major telecom operators collectively launched token-based plans, with a minimum monthly fee of 9.9 yuan offering 10 million tokens. In June, Beijing Yizhuang established the city's first token factory, with a daily production capacity exceeding 1.4 trillion tokens. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, as of June 2026, China's daily token calls had surpassed 500 trillion.

"Token pricing has become the core transaction unit for large model commercialization," said Ao Li, Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, in a conference speech. He noted that the industry is rapidly forming a multi-tiered pricing system based on tokens. He highlighted three key areas:

• Production side: Focus on the new token factory business model, optimizing model operation efficiency and computing power operation efficiency.
• Application side: Explore high-value application scenarios to expand the value boundary of tokens.
• Export side: Develop "high-cost-performance models + electricity cost advantages" to open new opportunities for token exports.

Zhang Kang, Deputy General Manager of China Telecom Beijing, remarked: "The value of AI lies not in the size of its parameters, but in whether it can bridge the 'last mile' and truly transform into manageable, reusable, and sustainable token value."

The Action Plan also outlines directions for integrated applications:

• Actively cultivate high-quality digital transformation service providers and innovative AI application service providers.
• Develop new network-intelligence integrated terminals, including adapting embodied intelligence with communication modules and building a smart home terminal product system.
• Enrich new information consumption scenarios, encouraging basic telecom enterprises to use AI to innovate personal and home agent applications.
• Boost intelligent upgrades in the medical system, optimizing online consultations through AI + communication technology integration.
• Support intelligent transformation of small and micro enterprises.