5G technology powers urban safety in Shanghai

SHANGHAI－As the sky began to clear up, a drone connected to the city's pilot 5G network circled around the Jingtai Building in the Hongkou district of Shanghai for a quick screening.

With its built-in infrared scanner, the drone took pictures of the edifice's outer walls to detect any possible leakage or damage. Real-time images were transmitted to the technicians' computers.

The technicians are tasked with decoding the on-screen messages－dark patches suggest damp interiors. They can tell from the images if the high-rise suffers from water leakage or bulging bricks.

"All of the data obtained during the 'physical examination' of the old buildings can be transmitted to experts far away from the spot via the 5G network. After consultations with experts and digital modeling of the high-rise, renovation plans are made," said Li Yiqing with China Telecom's Shanghai branch.

The international metropolis of Shanghai is exploring futuristic application scenarios using the 5G technology in fields like urban management.

Since the beginning of this year, the local government has teamed up with the Shanghai branch of China Telecom, one of China's major telecommunications operators, to pilot the intelligent scanning mechanism using state-of-the-art technologies.

Most of the high-rise residential buildings in the district were constructed more than two decades ago. Such complexes need to be regularly screened to ensure safety.

"Conventional ways of troubleshooting take time and human labor. Even a skilled worker needs several days to check the building's condition, and it is hard to pinpoint the most pressing faults that need to be fixed quickly," said Xia Liang who works at the district's urban operations management center.

In contrast, the high-tech combination of unmanned aircraft and the 5G network cuts the process down to less than two hours.

Real-time monitoring data showed that the 5G network near the Jingtai Building had a downstream rate of about 990 megabits per second and an upstream rate of about 100 Mbps. Due to its unique advantages of large bandwidth and short delay, the 5G network opens up a whole world of possibilities to enhance urban life, according to Li.

Earlier this year, local authorities and the telecom company identified 21 high-risk hazards in the Lanqiao Building.

Detailed evaluation reports and maintenance plans based upon the data have secured a more scientific and efficient renovation plan for the residential compound.

The scanning technology is expected to be applied in the protection of historical sites and architecture by detecting damage or subsidence of buildings, as well as identifying illegal constructions, according to Xia.

As of October, the municipality had set up more than 30,000 outdoor 5G base stations.

"New infrastructure development, including the 5G network, has transformed the passive troubleshooting into proactive early-warnings, safeguarding urbanites' lives while helping improve the city's management," Xia said.

Xinhua