Telecom operators are stepping up their investments in smart logistics, with 5G ushering in a new era of “unmanned” logistics.
Release date:
2020-09-10
Author:
Jinhua Logistics
Since the beginning of this year, smart logistics—led by unmanned logistics—has seen widespread adoption, with 5G‑enabled automated warehouses and drones making frequent appearances. Telecom operators have also been actively entering the smart logistics space. Suning Logistics, in partnership with Jiangsu Mobile, plans to establish a 5G‑powered smart logistics joint innovation lab in Nanjing, while China Telecom and JD Logistics have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly advance the deployment and application of 5G technology.
Since the beginning of this year, smart logistics—led by unmanned logistics—has seen widespread adoption, with 5G‑enabled automated warehouses and drones making frequent appearances. Telecom operators have also been actively entering the smart logistics space. Suning Logistics, in partnership with Jiangsu Mobile, plans to establish a 5G‑powered smart logistics joint innovation lab in Nanjing, while China Telecom and JD Logistics have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly advance the deployment and application of 5G technology.
The advent of 5G not only makes every link in the logistics chain smarter and more efficient, but also simplifies the digital transformation of the industry. Leveraging big data and IoT technologies, companies can build more agile and intelligent logistics systems, and the logistics revolution driven by 5G has become unstoppable.
On August 6, the Ministry of Transport issued Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of New Infrastructure in the Transportation Sector, outlining a series of measures to advance smart transportation infrastructure and smart logistics.
On July 15, the National Development and Reform Commission and 12 other departments issued a document supporting infrastructure for autonomous driving, automated loading, unloading, and storage, and unmanned delivery applications.
On August 11, Suning Logistics’ 5G‑enabled unmanned warehouse at its Yuhua base in Nanjing opened to the public for the first time. The facility integrates cutting‑edge technologies such as autonomous forklifts, AGV transport robots, robotic arms, and automated packaging machines, enabling fully automated operations across the entire process—from receiving and shelving to packaging, labeling, and sorting. A single robot workstation boosts picking efficiency by a factor of five compared with manual labor, and from the moment a customer places an order to the time the item leaves the warehouse, the entire process can be completed in as little as 20 minutes.
In July this year, the first smart, unmanned large‑item logistics warehouse of Ririshun was officially put into operation at the Jimo Industrial Park. Leveraging 5G technology along with AI capabilities such as computer vision and intelligent control algorithms, the warehouse can operate continuously around the clock, automatically handling 24,000 large‑item shipments in and out of the facility each day.
5G‑powered drone delivery services are on the rise. Recently, Yunda’s X470 drone—designed specifically for 5G‑enabled last‑mile logistics—completed its inaugural cargo‑carrying flight in a village in Tonglu County, Zhejiang Province. On the day of the test, the Yunda 5G drone delivered a package of Xueshui Yunlv green tea to Mr. Zhang in Zhangjiawu Village, Tonglu, in just 16 minutes.
Last year, Alibaba announced that it would invest 100 billion yuan over the next five years to build a global logistics network. Earlier this year, Alibaba DAMO Academy officially established the XG Lab, focusing on the collaborative research and development of 5G technologies and applications. The lab is working on video codec technologies and network transmission protocols tailored for 5G‑era use cases such as ultra‑high‑definition video, remote office work, smart logistics, and autonomous driving, while also developing relevant industry standards.
In November last year, JD Logistics took the lead in building China’s first 5G‑enabled smart logistics demonstration park. Within this smart logistics park, leveraging 5G technology, it has achieved intelligent vehicle matching, full‑area autonomous driving coverage, facial recognition‑based access control, and comprehensive information monitoring, along with automated route planning for vehicles entering the park and optimal parking‑space allocation. Unmanned heavy‑duty trucks, unmanned light‑duty vans, and autonomous inspection robots can be dispatched and operated, making vehicle movement within the park more efficient and orderly.
Experts say that as new infrastructure initiatives gain momentum, intelligent logistics systems powered by technologies such as 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence will become increasingly sophisticated, with a wider array of smart logistics facilities and equipment being deployed across more application scenarios.
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