Wednesday 2 April, 2025
Intelligent transport in China is moving at a speed other markets would like to follow. Electric cars outsell petrol models in key cities, and AIpowered cabins are becoming a consumer expectation. With such demand, regulators are racing to shape standards for connected vehicles. GSMA report, Outlook on China 5G Automotive Application, highlights the rapid growth of China’s C-V2X market, fuelled by the rollout of 5G. More than 80% of passenger cars now support connected vehicle technologies, and 15.6% already use 5G V2X. At the same time, the country is carving out a new economic space above its cities. New low altitude corridors where drones handle tasks from parcel delivery to disaster relief are crucial to the nation’s future.
These two modes of innovation, and their growing influence on how China moves people and goods, were the centre of discussion at MWC Shanghai, where experts in both low altitude aviation and intelligent vehicles are reaching for the same goal: transport systems that think, communicate and respond in real time. They explained how 5G, cloud platforms, open APIs and AI are reshaping movement of people and goods – both on the ground and in the sky.
Safety, standards and progress of intelligent transport in China
Crucial to the realisation of large-scale intelligent transport in China are security and compliance, which experts agreed should be treated as central design principles. Su Yu of China Mobile Chengdu Institute described how identity checks, SIM level verification and antitamper features are built into China Mobile’s drone terminals. These measures prevent falsified data and support safe integration with public networks. APIs developed under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative provide additional control, such as managing handovers between base stations or prioritising command links over video streams.
In parallel, Yu Bin highlighted the importance of a resilient data framework for vehicles. He called for stronger collaboration across manufacturers, suppliers and regulators to set unified standards for optical and wireless communications. He also urged faster development of chipsets and components that meet strict automotive standards, noting that cost remains a barrier to mass deployment.
Low altitude skies and smart roads form a single intelligent transport network
One of the most anticipated aspects of intelligent transport in China is the emergence of low-altitude aviation systems. These create managed air corridors, allowing drones to operate safely, avoid collisions and integrate with existing air traffic control. Su Yu explained how the low altitude economy is maturing in China. The market, projected to reach US$1.5 trillion, remains constrained by two persistent technical challenges. Proprietary data links restrict control distances, and conventional radar cannot reliably detect small, slow moving aerial objects. China Mobile’s approach uses 5G networks as the command layer, with specialised terminals mounted on each drone. These terminals receive instructions from a cloud based control platform and feedback location and performance data in real time.
Base stations now serve a dual purpose, transmitting signals while acting as low altitude sensors. AI algorithms analyse the reflected data to distinguish drones from birds or debris. Su Yu described how this capability supports four operational pillars: smart planning of airspace, trusted access and management, real-time sensing, and emergency communications. In disaster scenarios such as floods or earthquakes, large fixed wing drones can hover as aerial base stations, extending connectivity when ground infrastructure fails.
These steps mirror the findings of the GSMA report Powering liftoff for drones: benchmarking spectrum and readiness for UAVs. The research points to the need for harmonised spectrum policy, unified control standards and robust management frameworks. The solutions outlined by China Mobile show how such principles are beginning to work in practice.
On the ground, vehicles are becoming intelligent ecosystems
Yu Bin of Chongqing Changan Automobile delivered a similarly forward looking message on his vision of Intelligent transport in China, this time focused on road transport. He argued that the automobile has moved beyond its mechanical origins. It now functions as a mobile data centre, a sensor hub and a platform for services. This redefinition relies on digital architecture and modular software that can evolve throughout a vehicle’s life.
Changan’s six layer SDA framework demonstrates how a car can support continuous innovation. Each layer enables different capabilities: from cockpit experience to autonomous driving, chassis intelligence and energy management. Highspeed ethernet links and redundant communication circuits improve safety, while AI enables swarm intelligence, where vehicles interact with infrastructure and with each other.
The company has already achieved over the air upgrades with response times under twenty minutes. It has also developed distributed data management systems with latency under 1.5 milliseconds. These achievements reflect a broader industry trend noted in The future of road transportation: benchmarking spectrum and regulatory readiness for connected vehicles. That report emphasises the importance of low latency and secure data exchange to unlock the full potential of connected services.
Yu Bin also discussed future plans for intelligent transport in China more generally. Changan is exploring humanoid robots, unmanned taxis and even flying vehicles. He positioned these developments as part of a wider ecosystem that connects energy, mobility and digital infrastructure. Such ambitions show how companies are aligning vehicle innovation with broader urban and regional planning efforts.
The future of intelligent transport in China
The shared message from both sessions was clear. Drones and vehicles will only achieve their potential through common standards, open ecosystems and a focus on safety. Traditional supply chains are giving way to networked cooperation, where data flows freely but securely between platforms.
With how quickly these sectors are advancing intelligent transport in China, the industry must draw on proven approaches in connected vehicle rollouts, applying them to emerging low-altitude systems to accelerate safe adoption. Urban skies and roads are no longer isolated arenas. They are becoming layers of the same intelligent infrastructure. With ongoing work guided by insights in the GSMA reports on drones and connected vehicles, the industry is building a transport ecosystem where connectivity, safety and intelligence shape every journey.
