The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games, which opened yesterday at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, the "Ice Ribbon," are showcasing the capabilities of 5G-A GigaUplink networks in supporting humanoid robots and embodied AI. China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have built an integrated digital foundation for the event, providing high-capacity uplink, millisecond-level responsiveness, and high reliability to meet the stringent demands of robot competitions. This deployment is part of the 5G Capital initiative and serves as a real-world validation of network capabilities, with implications for the future of robotics and the Mobile AI era.
The Games have expanded significantly, featuring 1,301 competitions across 51 events, with 2,056 humanoid robots from 666 teams worldwide. The number of events nearly doubled from 26 in the inaugural Games, adding new high-intensity head-to-head events like table tennis and kickboxing. Scenario-based competitions now include industrial production, hotels, homes, and logistics, and dance events emphasize synchronized movement across multiple robots. These more autonomous and complex tasks require networks that can handle real-time robot telemetry, precise control signaling, and multi-robot coordination.
To meet these needs, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei deployed a dedicated 100 MHz network, complemented by a 300 MHz LampSite ultra-wideband indoor network. A dedicated 5QI 7 slice combined with carrier isolation keeps end-to-end latency for humanoid robots within 30 milliseconds, supporting millisecond-level decision-making. Integration with BeiDou RTK positioning delivers decimeter-level positioning accuracy, enabling autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance. On-site tests recorded a peak uplink speed of 1 Gbps and average latency below 30 milliseconds.
Beyond robot connectivity, the network also enhances the spectator experience. Dynamic adjustments to network resources and service assurance policies based on event phases ensure stable access for core services like instant messaging and ticket inquiries, while also accommodating data-intensive activities such as photo uploads and live streaming. China Unicom also developed China's first embodied AI robot management platform for event scenarios, which assigns a unique network ID to each robot for real-time monitoring of location, competition status, and operational metrics.
Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, emphasized that this deployment is a real-world test of network capabilities and will help accumulate assurance experience for large-scale embodied AI deployment. David Li, President of Huawei's Wireless TDD Product Line, noted that the Games validated the 5G-A 100 MHz GigaUplink network based on 3.5 GHz 2CC + 2.1 GHz SUL for embodied AI scenarios. He added that Huawei will continue to work with China Unicom Beijing to strengthen uplink capabilities and advance spectrum coordination, building multidimensional network capabilities for multimodal device-to-cloud transmission.
The 5G Capital initiative, which began as a collaboration between China Unicom Beijing and Huawei, has evolved to support a range of applications across Beijing, including cultural tourism and Mobile AI. The network's low latency, high reliability, and ubiquitous coverage are critical for the future of embodied AI, enabling real-time interaction and precise control. As the Games demonstrate, the connectivity foundation laid by 5G Capital is paving the way for humanoid robots to move beyond the arena and into everyday life, supporting an intelligent future.
