Richard Yu: Global Connectivity Lies in Interaction, IoT and 5G

The 4th World Internet Conference was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province from December 3 to 5. At the sub-forum, themed Big Internet Era: Innovation, Intelligence and Revolution, CEO of Huawei Technologies Consumer Business Group Richard Yu said information will see an exponential increase, and the gateway to global connectivity lies in interaction, Internet of Things and 5G.

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Richard Yu said the past two decades have brought rapid development to mobile telecommunication. With the rise of cell phones in 1993, it became possible for people to access an Internet of mobile terminals. The arrival of smart phone made that possibility into a reality. Yu said mobile communication experiences a new breakthrough every 10 years. He said 2017, which is 10 years since the first iPhone was released, will begin a new era of artificial intelligence and 5G.

Yu said the next generation of smart phones will be smarter and more intelligent. Connectivity is the fundamental driver for information development, and it is the gateway to the new era of global connectivity.

“The first gateway is interactivity. Our past experience with interaction used input devices such as keyboards, mice and touchscreens. The next generation will use natural voice, visuals and new sense interaction technology. Cameras will look around like eyes to understand their surroundings and interact as human beings. The second gateway is the Internet of Things, where devices are interconnected. The third gateway is 5G. With larger broadband, more capabilities and connections can be enhanced with functions such as augmented reality and virtual reality. Cloud-based resources can be obtained more easily, integrating the digital and real world,” Yu said.

Huawei is currently on a quest for the keys to those gates. Yu said the first key is artificial intelligence. “Our latest cellphone is the first equipped with artificial intelligence. In the future, it will be available to developers as open source so they can develop more functions and bring artificial intelligence to all smart phones,” he said.

Internet of Things is the second key. Huawei already launched its Internet smart home. With new software, users can review all the devices available for connection and smart devices under different scenarios. Huawei specializes in communication connectivity instead of home appliances. With the massive support of home appliance suppliers, it has gained more than 300 products in the first few months since its launch.

The third key is 5G. Huawei is one of the world’s leading 5G developers. Outside China, Huawei offers one-stop solutions to Japan and Korea, and countries throughout Europe and North America. It provides both 5G smart phones and Internet equipment. “In 2019, we will use the whole package of 5G devices and smart phones,” Yu said.