China issues guidelines to boost low-altitude information and communication capacity

BEIJING -- Multiple Chinese authorities have jointly issued guidelines to bolster the information and communication sector, aiming to support the development of low-altitude infrastructure.

The guidelines, which were released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and four other government departments, establish that ground mobile communication network coverage for low-altitude public air routes across the country should be no lower than 90 percent by 2027.

They also mandate the development of at least 10 standards for information infrastructure and the cultivation of typical low-altitude application scenarios in fields such as urban governance, logistics and transportation, and culture and tourism.

The guidelines call for the active development of the 5G-Advanced industry, upgrades to existing ground base stations, and the accelerated maturity of integrated sensing and communication technologies.

The five departments urged coordinated efforts in network deployment, technological advancement and application development, and advocated the utilization of multiple funding channels to support research on key technologies, equipment development and application promotion for relevant information infrastructure.