Smarter Infrastructure Converges AI and Broadband at 2025 WBBA Congress in Shanghai

2025 Broadband Development Congress in Shanghai

The World Broadband Association (WBBA) convened the 2025 Broadband Development Congress in Shanghai, focusing on the theme: "Smarter Infrastructure: Converging AI and Broadband." Industry leaders, experts, and scholars gathered to discuss how artificial intelligence and broadband innovations can jointly advance the digital economy.

Global Vision and Industry Leadership

The event began with keynote speeches from key figures: Dr Zhengmao Li, Chairman of the Board at WBBA; Vivek Badrinath, Director General of GSMA; Dr Houlin Zhao, Chairman of WBBA’s Advisory Committee and former Secretary-General of ITU; and Ruiwen Ke, CEO of China Telecom. Other notable speakers included David Wang from Huawei, Ronan de Renesse of Omdia, Hongtao Lyu from China Unicom, Bill Huang of Dataa Robotics, and Dr Jiawei Shao from China Telecom AI Research Institute.

Highlights and Strategic Insights

Dr Zhengmao Li reviewed WBBA’s key achievements in early 2025, highlighting expanded board elections and the establishment of an Advisory Committee. He emphasized WBBA’s mission to foster openness and global collaboration in building intelligent digital infrastructure.

Vivek Badrinath stressed that advancing smarter infrastructure demands innovation, sufficient investment, and supportive regulations. He pointed out the aligned goals of GSMA and WBBA to collaborate extensively, ensuring the AI era benefits the entire telecom ecosystem.

Dr Houlin Zhao introduced the Advisory Committee as a strategic think tank for WBBA’s growth. He announced two new advisors: Boris Koprivnikar, former Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia, and Brahima Sanou, former Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau.

Ruiwen Ke shared China Telecom’s vision of AI and broadband as foundational for future societal progress. He called for global cooperation through WBBA to promote secure, fair, and innovation-driven AI development, while highlighting China Telecom’s efforts in cloud-network integration and AI governance.

Industry Innovation and Technological Frontiers

Ronan de Renesse presented a framework and real-world cases demonstrating how AI and broadband can create profitable opportunities for operators. David Wang outlined Huawei’s "All Intelligence" strategy, showcasing Ultra-Broadband (UBB) solutions and expressing intent to collaborate globally on AI-driven growth.

Hongtao Lyu described China Unicom’s dual approach: building a "Network for AI" and developing "AI for Network." He reinforced Unicom’s commitment to AI-broadband integration and cooperation with global standards organizations like ITU, 3GPP, and GSMA.

Bill Huang discussed how large language models enable next-level embodied intelligence in humanoid robots, positioning them as the third computing platform after PCs and smartphones. He introduced HARIX OS and a "learn by demonstration" programming model to accelerate intelligent robotics development.

Dr Jiawei Shao presented AI Flow, a technology for intelligent interconnection based on family AI models. AI Flow addresses device limitations and cloud latency, supporting collaborative edge-cloud intelligence to facilitate seamless AI integration.

Deep-Dive Panel Discussion

A panel featuring Martin Creaner (WBBA), Ziping Liu (Asia Pacific Telecommunity), Darius Delgado (Globe Telecom), Benton Gong (DBS Bank China), and Peter Hu (ZTE) discussed AI’s role in driving value creation, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and transforming telecom and enterprise operations.

New Industry White Papers Released

Three white papers were launched, focusing on:

• Expanding Advanced Fixed Broadband Networks for All
• Circular Economies and the Evolution of Fixed Broadband
• Beyond Broadband: Revolutionizing CPN Connectivity

These documents examine technologies like Wi-Fi 7, FTTR, deterministic networking, and AI, providing practical guidance on the future of fixed network development.

Building the Future of Global Cloud-Network Broadband

The congress united key voices from broadband and cloud-networking sectors to exchange ideas, spark innovation, and build strategic partnerships. Participants established a foundation for an intelligent, integrated, and inclusive digital infrastructure.

About WBBA

The World Broadband Association is a global, industry-led nonprofit headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. With over 170 members—including China Telecom, China Unicom, Swisscom, and Huawei—WBBA guides cloud-network broadband development through collaboration and innovation.

In 2024, WBBA introduced the Cloud-Network Broadband Excellence Awards to recognize leaders driving transformation across networks and AI. This year’s awards are open for submissions, with the ceremony scheduled for October in Paris during WBBA’s Annual Flagship Conference. Industry professionals are encouraged to participate and contribute to advancing broadband excellence.