China Unicom Supports FTP Construction in Hainan

China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd. (China Unicom) has been in full steam to support development of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in South China by building "smart Hainan" with 5G network construction.

Smart clinic

China Unicom helped the Health Commission of Hainan Province launch a project to improve clinical capacity of primary hospitals based on 5G and the internet of things in Hainan.

The project started on Nov 20, 2020, and was completed by the end of the same year.

With its help, the health care systems of seven third-class hospitals, 18 county-level hospitals, 340 township-level hospitals and 2,693 village clinics in the region are updated intellectually.

The project also included improvement of equipment. For example, all-in-one machines are installed in these hospitals which can help with telemedicine based on 5G internet.

China Unicom also set up specific telemedicine centers at the third-class hospitals to help doctors connect with patients at the primary hospitals, through which patients in these areas are able to access high-quality medical resources without traveling to the cities.

The project is currently the largest commercial 5G project and the first telemedicine project based on full 5G coverage in a provincial region in China.

The 5G technology also plays a role in smart first-aid projects.

The company developed a 5G-based smart emergency solution that enables monitoring of patients' condition and remote rescue while patients are transferred to an updated ambulance.

To realize the functions, the ambulance was modified and is equipped with AR glasses and remote video terminals, as well as medical equipment like a vehicle monitoring system, a multi-lead monitor and an electrocardiograph. Vehicle-mounted cameras and a global positioning system are also installed in the ambulance.

A patient accepts health examination by new medical equipment at a primary clinical in Hainan. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Online education

Education is another field adopting 5G technology.

China Unicom launched a 5G smart campus project at the Haikou School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University in Hainan, which promotes high-quality education resource sharing and education equality.

Construction of the project kicked off in September 2019 and went into full operation in late January 2020.

With support of China Unicom's 5G technology, remote synchronous teaching was also realized in Jiazi central primary school in Haikou and Yongxing School in Sansha. It was the first time 5G technology was used in remote education in Hainan.

A teacher at Yongxing School said that the teaching platform is quite easy to operate and interaction with students through the screen is as fluent as talking with them face to face.

The project also included a comprehensive solution to security management of the campus.

A 5G-based facial recognition system is installed at dormitories and the campus gates to recognize unidentified people, which guarantees students' safety and improves management on campus.

The 5G holographic classroom is another typical application of the 5G technology used in education in the region.

For example, the physics teacher at the Wenchang Middle School is able to demonstrate space knowledge to students at the Boao Center School in Qionghai thanks to the 5G-based holographic classroom.

In the classroom, the three-dimensional image of the teacher is formed by the holographic and virtual technologies. It was a breakthrough in education style which is expected to improve teaching effectiveness and learning experience.

The holographic classroom project went into operation in April 2021. It allows students in Hainan to attend classes given by teachers from other regions.

A teacher's image is clearly and vividly formed based on the holographic and virtual technologies in the 5G holographic classroom in Boao Center School in Qionghai, Hainan. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Other industries

In addition to telemedicine and online education, 5G technology is also used in cultural tourism, environmental protection and industrial internet in Hainan.

China Unicom initiated an AR remote cultural relic restoration, VR full view livestreaming, and a journal assistant based on 5G, and the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone in Sanya was the base of one of China's first commercial unmanned driving projects.

The company plans to step up efforts to develop more 5G application scenarios to raise travel experience, help enterprises improve management and service capacities and support to build the Hainan FTP into an international tourism center.

A 5G-based unmanned vessel is now being used in regular sample tests to detect water quality of the Ningyuan River in Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City.

Taking advantage of 5G's wide bandwidth and low latency, water quality and underwater pipeline inspection are done quickly and in a timely way. Usage of the unmanned vessel and the 5G greatly reduces risks of manual operation and at the same time controls pollutants from the source.

In terms of the industrial internet, China Unicom joined hands with Hainan Petrochemical Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corporation, to launch a renovation and expansion project aimed at producing and refining 1 million tons of ethylene and oil annually.

The project is the first 5G industrial internet application in Hainan. The region’s first dedicated 5G network was completed during its construction.

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)