What Exactly Is the New Generation Communication Network?
The article explains China's policy on the "six networks," defines the new generation communication network as a system‑wide, air‑space‑sea integrated infrastructure that goes beyond 6G, and shows how it interplays with compute networks, AI, and the emerging power grid in the national digital strategy.
Six‑Network Initiative
On 28 April the Politburo announced a plan to deepen the “six networks” – water, new‑type power, compute (算力网), new‑generation communication, urban underground, and logistics – with an estimated investment exceeding 7 trillion CNY in 2023.
Compute Network (算力网)
The compute network supplies, schedules, and services compute resources. Its value composition is roughly 70 % compute capability and 30 % communication infrastructure. It consists of:
High‑speed interconnects inside data‑center clusters.
Inter‑cluster links forming a backbone for distributed training.
Edge‑to‑cluster connections that support inference (入算) for end‑user devices.
National strategies such as “compute‑network integration”, “AI internet”, “East‑West computing”, and “millisecond‑level compute entry” call for backbone links of 400 G or higher to interconnect geographically dispersed intelligent‑computing centers.
New‑Generation Communication Network
The new‑generation communication network is a system‑level concept aimed at 2030 and beyond. It is not limited to a single standard (e.g., 6G) but integrates air, space, and sea communications with sensing, computing, and intelligence. Technologies classified under this umbrella include:
Mobile standards 5G‑A / 6G with terabit‑level links.
50 G‑PON (10 Gbps) fiber broadband.
Satellite internet providing global coverage.
Low‑altitude (UAV) communication networks.
Communication‑sensing (通感) networks.
Quantum communication for secure links.
The focus is on upgrading bandwidth, extending functional capabilities, expanding coverage, and improving last‑mile connectivity for both consumer and enterprise digital scenarios.
Convergence and Strategic Loop
Historically IT (chips, OS, databases, cloud, big data) and CT (mobile, Wi‑Fi, optical, satellite) were separate. Recent years have seen deep convergence – cloud‑network integration and communication‑cloudization – accelerated by the AI wave, which demands massive compute and low‑latency, high‑bandwidth links.
Compute and communication networks are mutually supportive: compute resources rely on high‑capacity links, while advanced communication technologies enable larger, more efficient compute clusters. Together with the new‑type power grid, they form a three‑in‑one closed‑loop infrastructure that underpins the nation’s digital‑intelligent economy.
Key quantitative points:
Investment in the six networks: > 7 trillion CNY (2023).
Compute network value split: 70 % compute, 30 % communication.
Backbone link targets: 400 G or higher.
Overall, the compute network emphasizes resource orchestration and service provision, while the new‑generation communication network emphasizes systemic upgrades to connectivity, functionality, and coverage.
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