The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games, held at Beijing's National Speed Skating Oval, showcased not only the latest in robotics but also the critical role of advanced networking. China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have built an integrated digital foundation powered by a 5G-A GigaUplink network, supporting intelligent event operations, robot competition, and spectator experiences. This deployment is a real-world validation of 5G Capital in robotics and embodied AI, and it lays a connectivity foundation for humanoid robots to move beyond the arena into everyday life.
This year's Games feature major upgrades in scale and complexity. A total of 1,301 competitions across 51 events will see 2,056 humanoid robots from 666 teams worldwide take part. The number of events has nearly doubled from 26 in the inaugural Games, with new high-intensity head-to-head events such as table tennis and kickboxing. Scenario-based competitions now include industrial production, hotels, homes, and logistics, and dance events emphasize synchronized movement across multiple robots. These autonomous formats and higher task complexity demand high-capacity uplink, millisecond-level responsiveness, and high reliability to support real-time robot telemetry, precise control signaling, and multi-robot coordination.
To meet these requirements, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei deployed a dedicated 100 MHz network, complemented by a 300 MHz LampSite ultra-wideband indoor network. A dedicated 5QI 7 slice combined with carrier isolation keeps end-to-end latency for humanoid robots within 30 milliseconds, supporting millisecond-level decision-making and response. By integrating with BeiDou RTK positioning, the solution delivers decimeter- to sub-decimeter-level positioning accuracy, enabling autonomous navigation and precision racing. On-site tests recorded a peak uplink speed of 1 Gbps, with average latency below 30 milliseconds.
Beyond mission-critical connectivity for robots, spectator experience was prioritized. Network resources are dynamically adjusted according to event phases—admission, waiting, competition, and departure. Core services like instant messaging, ticket inquiries, QR-code admission, and mobile payments are prioritized, while also accommodating data-intensive services such as photo uploads, short-video sharing, and live streaming. This ensures seamless connectivity even during peak traffic.
On the operations side, China Unicom developed China's first embodied AI robot management platform designed for event scenarios. Through a unique network ID assigned to each robot, staff can monitor location, competition status, and operational metrics in real time, creating a closed-loop management system.
Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, said: "This network deployment is not only a real-world test of China Unicom's network capabilities; it will also help us accumulate valuable network assurance experience for the large-scale deployment of embodied AI. China Unicom will continue to build on the experience gained through the 5G Capital initiative and turn technological innovation into tangible and replicable network capabilities for the Mobile AI era."
David Li, President of Huawei's Wireless TDD Product Line, said: "The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games have provided a compelling real-world validation of the 5G-A 100 MHz GigaUplink network based on 3.5 GHz 2CC + 2.1 GHz SUL for embodied AI scenarios. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to work with China Unicom Beijing to strengthen uplink capabilities and advance spectrum coordination, building multidimensional network capabilities with tiered and differentiated service assurance for multimodal device-to-cloud transmission."
This deployment underscores that networks are about more than speed; low latency, high reliability, and ubiquitous coverage are equally important. By advancing the 5G Capital initiative, China Unicom and Huawei are expanding the boundaries of network performance and laying a solid foundation for the Mobile AI era, working with industry partners to enable an intelligent future.
