China Unicom chairman: Telecom operators lead the way in Chinese cloud computing

China Unicom chairman Liu Liehong addresses the Summit on Innovation and Development of the 7th World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin, on May 18, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China Unicom chairman Liu Liehong said that telecom operators are at the forefront of Chinese cloud computing enterprises at the conference.

Liu highlighted the three distinct transformations of Chinese telecom operators, namely the data-driven boom from 3G to 5G, the accelerated growth of data centers and cloud services in the 4G era, and the current embrace of digital transformation driven by AI and the demand for computing power.

He emphasized the immense computational requirements of models like ChatGPT, with training necessitating substantial investment and the integration of cloud computing being the optimal solution to meet AI's computational needs.

The deep integration of AI and cloud computing act as a key driver for digital and intelligent transformation. Intelligence, as a fundamental technology of the digital era, is becoming a vital factor in reshaping global resource and restructuring the global economic structure.

China Unicom will make commitment to innovation and the development of secure, integrated and customized cloud solutions that serve as both enabling platforms for customers' digital transformation and powerful computing engines for industry-specific digitalization efforts, he said.