Hoh Xil, a previously isolated region in the northeastern part of the Qing-Zang Plateau known as a "no man's land," now has access to 5G services, facilitating environmental protection in the region.
The one and only base station in Hoh Xil stands at the Zonag Lake protection station, a critical habitat for Tibetan antelopes and thus an important observation site. It is an 11-hour drive away from the Golmud City in northwest China's Qinghai Province, with mountains and deserts in between.
With 5G signal transmission services and an internet speed of up to 800 Mbps, the staff at the protection station can now video chat with their families after a day's work.
"In the past, as we were patrolling the mountains or staying at the station, once we went off the No.109 National Highway, the signal would be gone. Now, with the 5G services, we feel like our families are at side," said Tseso Gyal, deputy head of the Zonag Lake protection station.
The Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve covers a total area of 45,000 square kilometers. In the past, only five villages in the southern part of the region and areas along the No. 109 Highway had telecommunication signals.
Zonag Lake, known as a major "delivery room" for Tibetan antelopes, greets newborns of the species every May to July as large numbers of Tibetan antelopes migrate to the lake to give birth.
During the period, workers at the station strengthen their monitoring of Tibetan antelopes. The 5G services will greatly ease their pressure this year, as they no longer have to rely solely on human patrols. Monitoring equipment at the station can now transmit high-resolution footage to researchers at the Three-River-Source National Park Administration Bureau in Xining, the provincial capital of Qinghai.
The 5G services have also accelerated the digital transformation of various industries on the plateau.
At the Qarhan Salt Lake in Golmud, the largest salt lake in Asia and previously a completely unoccupied zone, workers are upgrading the base station to bring 5G coverage to the area.
"The equipment we installed can help achieve seamless coverage of 5G services in the entire lake zone. In the meantime, we have provided technical network support for the No. 18 and No. 19 salt mining ships. This should be the first time for a salt lake in Qinghai to test the application of 5G services on major homegrown equipment," said Zhao Chengming, manager of the 5G lab of China Mobile Golmud.
The No. 18 and No. 19 salt mining ships are part of a pilot project exploring the possibilities of unmanned salt mining. Through remote control and under infrared and thermal surveillance, the two ships can now automatically mine salt and sail along the designated route.
"The operations are mainly based on remote control and monitoring. Our job is just basic monitoring and simple maintenance and cleaning," said Li Shengbin, director of a production workshop of the Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Company.
The mining area of the Qarhan Salt Lake, covering an area of 110 square kilometers, has realized full 5G coverage, and the internet speed is able to meet requirements for industrial-level remote control.
China spreads 5G services to isolated area of Qing-Zang Plateau
