China’s Ghost Network is a remarkable feat of technology. The world’s first commercial 10G broadband network runs through the quiet, empty streets of Xiong’an, offering speeds that can download multiple 4K movies in just one second. With incredible speeds of 9,834 Mbps, this network boasts capabilities that few people are using.
Huawei and China Unicom’s mutually beneficial alliance created this groundbreaking 10G network. The system delivers unmatched performance with response times under 3 milliseconds and upload speeds reaching 1,008 Mbps. These specifications put the network well ahead of other high-speed networks across the globe.
The situation presents an interesting contrast. The planet’s most advanced commercial broadband network operates in an area that lacks enough people to use it. This unusual scenario makes us wonder about the future of high-speed connections and the reasoning behind deploying such ambitious technology.
China’s Ghost Network: What Just Happened in Xiong’an?
China Unicom and Huawei made technological history in September 2023. Xiong’an New Area became the first in the world to roll out a commercially available 10G broadband network.This breakthrough puts them years ahead of the rest of the world.
China’s Ghost Network:How fast is 10G really?
Xiong’an’s 10G network sets a new benchmark, unmatched in its class. Let’s compare it to what we use today. A typical 100 Mbps connection needs about 13 minutes to download a 10GB file. The same file takes just 8 seconds on this new network.
On top of that, this network offers matching upload and download speeds – a game-changer for content creators and remote workers. Tests showed download speeds reaching nearly 10 Gbps (9,834 Mbps to be exact) and upload speeds of more than 1 Gbps.
The network’s response time is even more remarkable. Data travels between points in less than 3 milliseconds – about 10 times faster than your home internet. This speed opens up new possibilities for cloud computing and instant applications.
Regular users can expect almost magical experiences:
- Downloading 4K movies now takes less than a second with this ultra-fast connection.
- Multiple 8K video streams play at once
- Cloud gaming without any buffering
- Cloud computing happens instantly
What is 50G-PON technology?
Xiong’an’s amazing speeds come from its state-of-the-art 50G-PON (Passive Optical Network) technology. The current 10G service is just the beginning – this system can handle up to 50 Gbps.
50G-PON leads the fiber optic networking world. Unlike older systems that share bandwidth, it gives each user their own wavelength on a single fiber. This means faster speeds without laying new cables.
The technology uses advanced signal processing and quantum dot lasers to keep signals strong over long distances. Xiong’an serves as both a commercial service and a testing ground for future network technologies.
This network runs on real 50G-PON technology right now. Today’s 10G service uses only 20% of the network’s capacity. Future upgrades won’t need new infrastructure.
AI systems manage the network by watching usage patterns. They direct bandwidth where it’s needed most, making this blazing-fast network even more efficient.
This network looks toward the future. Its design allows for updates as technology improves. Most networks last 5-7 years, but this one could serve for decades.
China’s Ghost Network:Why Xiong’an Was Chosen for the 10G Rollout
It’s no surprise that Xiong’an New Area was chosen as the launchpad for the world’s first commercial 10G network. This emerging city, situated about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, offers a clean slate to implement next-generation technologies without old infrastructure getting in the way.
China’s Ghost Network:The vision behind Xiong’an
President Xi Jinping unveiled this landmark urban development initiative in April 2017. The plan aimed to ease Beijing’s overcrowding while creating a blueprint for future Chinese cities. Right from the start, Xiong’an was meant to be more than just another city. Chinese planners wanted to showcase “high-quality development” where state-of-the-art technology and sustainable urban planning meet.
Xiong’an stands out because the central government directly oversees this nationally-significant project. Most cities grow naturally over time, but Xiong’an started with a detailed plan from day one. This top-down approach lets technologies like the 10G network merge into the city’s foundation.
The sort of thing I love about Xiong’an is how its development schedule lines up with China’s tech goals. The country wants to lead key tech sectors and become self-sufficient. Xiong’an serves as both a testing ground and a showcase. The city sits close enough to Beijing for easy monitoring but far enough to grow its own character.
Urban planning and smart infrastructure
Xiong’an’s master plan shows why it became the obvious choice for the 10G network. The planners built this “smart city” differently – they put digital infrastructure before physical construction. It’s like laying down the neural network before the rest of the body takes shape.
This unique approach to city building creates perfect conditions to test next-generation tech. The planners could design everything – from traffic systems to utility management – around ultra-high-speed networks instead of trying to modernize old systems.
Xiong’an also features a modular urban grid that welcomes new technologies. To name just one example, the city’s underground utility tunnels have extra space for future network expansions beyond the current 10G setup.
The choice of Xiong’an also shows how infrastructure planning and policy goals work together. The area proves to both Chinese and international audiences what happens when network planning comes before other development aspects.
Notwithstanding that, we now see an unusual situation – an amazing network running at full capacity in an area still waiting for people to move in. This timing gap between infrastructure and usage might benefit future residents. They’ll get a tested, mature network instead of dealing with the usual problems of new systems.
The planners picked Xiong’an because the 10G network forms the foundation of something bigger – a new way of building cities where digital capabilities shape physical spaces, not the other way around.
The Ghost Town Controversy
Xiong’an, China’s cutting-edge smart city, has recently earned an unwelcome label — the country’s latest ghost town. This ultra-modern metropolis shows a clear gap between ambitious planning and ground application. It stands as maybe even the world’s most sophisticated urban experiment – just without the people.
Why is Xiong’an called a ghost town?
The city presents a strange contradiction. This innovative technology hub cost a staggering 86 billion euros but nobody lives there. Most Chinese cities buzz with activity, yet Xiong’an’s big infrastructure sits quiet. Its advanced 10G network has almost no one to serve.
You won’t find the towering skyscrapers that Chinese cities are known for. The city looks nothing like Beijing or Shanghai’s packed streets. Instead, wide boulevards, modern buildings, and high-tech systems wait for residents who haven’t shown up yet.
The locals tell a similar story. One resident called the city “boring” and said: “There isn’t much social life. With demanding work hours, most young professionals have little time left for relaxation or social activities.The lack of community life makes the empty buildings feel even more hollow.
Population vs. infrastructure mismatch
The numbers paint a clear picture. The city was built to house 5 million people, but only 1.2 million live there permanently. This huge gap shows one of the biggest planning mistakes in modern urban development.
The world’s most advanced commercial internet runs through empty streets and vacant buildings. High-speed fiber optic cables connect offices and homes where hardly anyone works or lives.
There’s more than one reason for these empty streets:
- Strict rules keep people and businesses away. Nobody can buy or sell property, and tough business restrictions scare investors.
- Beijing’s pull remains stronger than Xiong’an’s appeal, showing what people really want.
- The city won’t be fully built until 2050, with the first phase ending in 2035. This creates a gap between what’s built and when people might move in.
State media tells a different story. They report massive investment, with 510 billion yuan going into 240 major projects by 2022’s end. Reports also indicate that thousands of tech firms have established a presence in Xiong’an.
The city shows what happens when planners dream too big. Instead of becoming an economic powerhouse, Xiong’an proves what can go wrong when political goals matter more than economic reality. Its empty networks and streets offer a powerful lesson about the risks of planned urban development.
What 10G Enables: Real-World Applications
The 10G ghost network’s technical specs open up amazing possibilities that will revolutionize how we use technology. Tests have revealed blazing-fast performance in Xiong’an, with download speeds reaching 9,834 Mbps, upload speeds at 1,008 Mbps, and latency as low as 3 milliseconds. These numbers mean we can do things that regular networks could never handle.
China’s Ghost Network:Cloud gaming and 8K streaming
The biggest changes will show up in how we enjoy entertainment. Cloud gaming operates by processing and running games on remote servers, then streaming the gameplay to users over the internet in real time.The 10G network’s speed and tiny delay times make this feel just like playing on your own computer. Players won’t notice any lag or ping problems that make current cloud gaming frustrating.
Gaming data consumption was expected to reach 7.2 petabytes by 2022, highlighting the growing demand for high-speed internet and advanced data infrastructure in the gaming industry.This shows why we need networks that can handle such heavy loads. Tests on the Xiong’an network proved this point – users played cloud games without any hiccups.
The network also makes 8K video streaming possible. That’s four times sharper than 4K. Samsung QLED Smart 8K TVs successfully showed 8K content during demo events.Files that usually need 7 to 10 minutes to download on a standard 1 Gbps connection can now be downloaded in just 20 seconds using the 10G network.
Smart homes and IoT
10G completely changes what’s possible in smart homes. The extra bandwidth and quick response times let dozens of devices work together smoothly. One test showed over 80 internet devices running at once in a single home without any problems.
The Mediacom 10G Smart Home in Iowa showcased impressive features such as:
- Better patient care through telemedicine
- One-touch control of your whole house
- 3D holograms without special glasses
- VR and AR relaxation apps are becoming popular for stress relief. They offer immersive experiences like meditation or virtual escapes to serene environments, helping users unwind.These immersive technologies provide an escape from everyday stress by offering calming experiences such as virtual nature walks, guided meditation, or soothing soundscapes. Whether you’re floating through tranquil forests or practicing mindfulness in serene settings, VR and AR can create an effective mental reset, helping users unwind and manage stress more easily.
- Smart kitchen gadgets connected to the internet
By 2023, nearly 29 billion devices are expected to be connected to the internet, reflecting the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technologies worldwide.Networks must handle these huge IoT systems. The 10G platform achieves this by offering rapid response times and enhanced security.
Autonomous vehicles and traffic systems
10G connections will power future self-driving transportation systems. Self-driving cars process huge amounts of data from high-quality cameras and sensors. Vehicle cameras now use 4K and 8K instead of 720p. This needs lots of bandwidth to handle raw video.
Self-driving cars need networks that support 10 Gbps speeds. This helps cars talk to roads and other cars in real time, making driving safer and smoother. Cars can tell others behind them when they brake, so everyone stops more gently.
5G V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) on these fast networks will handle several hundred megabits or even gigabits per second. Cars can share sensor data and download detailed maps showing construction and obstacles.
Xiong’an’s ghost network puts these ideas into practice. The city builds these features into its core, creating a perfect testing ground for autonomous systems, even before people move in.
The Human Element: Who’s Actually Using 10G?
Xiong’an’s 10G ghost network shows a stark contrast between what technology can do and how people use it. This marvel of engineering can download several 4K movies in seconds. Yet it serves only a handful of users, which makes many wonder about the value of such advanced connectivity in an area with so few people.
China’s Ghost Network:Current population and usage
The smart city has only 1.2 million residents, far below the planned 5 million. These numbers highlight the biggest problem with the world’s fastest commercial network – it lacks enough people to use its capabilities.
The small population creates an unusual experience. Residents enjoy unlimited bandwidth with almost no network congestion. This differs from busy cities where high-speed networks often slow down during peak hours.
Government workers, technical professionals, and construction staff make up most of the population. These early settlers in this planned city rarely need the full power of the 10G network. Most people use it for:
- Video conferencing and remote work
- Standard definition streaming (with minimal 8K content consumption)
- Simple smart home functions
People barely tap into the network’s full potential. Even the heaviest users need less than 5% of the available bandwidth at peak times. This makes it possibly the world’s most underused high-performance network.
Barriers to adoption
Several major hurdles stand in the way of wider network usage. The lack of residents creates a cycle – the network stays underused without people, and without proving its worth, fewer people want to move there.
Money also plays a vital role in limiting adoption. 10G-compatible devices cost too much for many potential users. Few consumer devices can handle 10G connectivity, which creates a hardware bottleneck. Even tech-savvy residents can’t make full use of the network.
Rules and regulations make things more complex. Businesses must go through strict approval processes before they can operate in Xiong’an. This limits the commercial uses that could drive network usage.
The gap between what’s possible and what’s practical has created an infrastructure paradox. The city has connectivity that most global tech hubs would love to have. Yet it lacks enough people and the right tech ecosystem to justify its existence based on usage alone.
The ghost network tells two stories at once. It shows both an amazing achievement and serves as a warning that technical capability alone isn’t enough without people to use it.
What Comes Next for Xiong’an and 10G?
Xiong’an’s groundbreaking 10G implementation is now in place, and all eyes are on what this “ghost network” will signify for China’s digital future. This ambitious project shows both a technological win and economic risk. It proves China’s long-term vision, though its ground application remains largely untested.
Will other cities follow?
Xiong’an works as a technological testing ground rather than just an isolated experiment. Several key factors will determine if the ghost network model spreads to other Chinese urban centers:
- The biggest concern remains economic viability, as the massive infrastructure investment requires more justification than mere technological prestige.
- Population density in existing cities creates opportunities and challenges. More users could better use 10G capabilities, but updating existing infrastructure poses major hurdles
- Strategic importance of specific regions will affect priorities. Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen are natural candidates for early adoption
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region appears poised to be the next frontier for the expansion of 10G technology. China’s pattern of using showcase projects to push broader adoption suggests the ghost network won’t stay in Xiong’an forever.
Can Xiong’an attract real residents?
The ghost network’s success depends on turning Xiong’an from a technological showcase into a thriving community. Several initiatives try to fix this population shortfall:
Relaxed residency rules offer one path to population growth. Strict controls limited migration to Xiong’an before full implementation. Easier restrictions could speed up population growth.
Educational and healthcare investments, along with infrastructure development, aim to create better living incentives beyond just connectivity. City planners know that tech marvels alone can’t sustain communities. Employment, affordable housing, and social infrastructure determine if people want to live there.
Xiong’an’s ghost network shows a basic truth about tech advancement: infrastructure is just one piece of successful urban development. The world’s fastest network means nothing without enough users, creating a race between tech deployment and population growth that shapes Xiong’an’s future.
Conclusion
Xiong’an’s ghost network represents both a technological marvel and a cautionary tale. China has achieved remarkable success by deploying the world’s fastest commercial internet. The stark reality of an underutilized 10G network raises questions about the balance between ambition and practicality.
The technical achievements speak for themselves. Download speeds of 9,834 Mbps and latency under 3 milliseconds represent significant advancements in connectivity, offering ultra-fast, near-instant access to data and improved online experiences. These capabilities make China a pioneer in global internet infrastructure development. The limited population of 1.2 million residents means this state-of-the-art network runs nowhere near its potential.
The ghost network’s success hinges on Xiong’an’s growth. The city needs to attract residents and businesses while keeping its technological edge. China’s strategic vision goes beyond simple connectivity. This network forms the foundation for future innovations in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and smart city development.
Technical capability alone doesn’t guarantee success. Xiong’an’s ghost network will prove its worth when it evolves from impressive infrastructure to practical utility. This transformation demands a careful balance between technological progress and sustainable urban growth.
