The four Chinese carriers, Huawei, and the government came together at the 5G Deterministic Network Industry Alliance’s meeting on July 30 in Beijing. Dai Jisheng, Chairman of the Alliance and President of Huawei Cloud Core Network Strategy, said:
“In the past two years, the alliance has made great progress with the strong support of various members. As a link between technology and industry, the alliance has promoted a virtuous cycle of demand and supply. “
The alliance’s six working groups including multimedia, industrial Internet, energy Internet, medical Internet, smart transportation, and terminals have discussed in groups, and have a clear understanding of the next step and research direction.
“Deterministic Networking” is the telcos’ system designed to replace the Internet. It would be rigidly controlled so that a producer in Shanghai is reliably within 20 ms of the Beijing Winter Olympics. NATO headquarters in Brussels would get near-instantaneous data from the base in Naples.
Perhaps you’ll be able to destroy your game opponent more quickly.
That’s only possible if every connected network adheres to a rigid set of protocols. That is very different than the ideal of today’s Internet, connecting very diverse networks with the endpoints – you and me – in control.
I was one of the few dissenters when ITU Focus Group 2030 – the start of 6G – nearly unanimously supported DN, in a proposal called “New IP.” It included changed to the IP protocol in the name of efficiency. Companies like Verizon were strong supporters, along with the Chinese.
VInt Cerf and the Internet elders made the point that IP worked and changing it would be a monstrous project. To get ITU approval, the “New IP” was dropped.
The US shut it down in ITU Study Group 13. So the Chinese are moving ahead without the ITU. The European telcos are also strong supporters, dreaming of charging for every packet or slowing it down. Softbank in Japan recently added supported.
Ericsson is also a strong supporter. It needs the Chinese market. China is 30% of the mobile Internet and 40% of landlines. It doesn’t need the ITU.
DN is the old bellhead vs nethead debate, although the US Bells have been supplanted by international carriers. The telcos see this as a way to win back control and erect toll booths on the Internet.
The momentum is strong.