Every September, the PT Expo arrives on schedule at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. As the longest-standing and most significant annual exhibition in China's information and communications industry, it has always been known as a bellwether for the sector.
The 2026 PT Expo is somewhat different. This is the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and also the first national-level industry exhibition following the release of the opinions on innovative development of AI (Artificial Intelligence) plus information and communications. While the entire industry is exploring the direction for the next five years, what tangible achievements has this exhibition actually presented? What signals of industrial transformation can we read from it? After a deep, immersive tour of the expo, from booths to forums, and from products to perspectives, the answers are actually quite clear.
- 01 -The 15th Five-Year Plan Zone: Bringing the Planning Blueprint into the Physical Exhibition Hall
Whenever a new industry plan is released each year, what everyone cares about most is how the directions in the document will be implemented. The most thoughtful setup at this year's PT Expo is the dedicated "15th Five-Year Plan: Envisioning the Future—An Innovative Landscape from Space-Ground Integration to Intelligent Computing Power" zone, where all the next-generation technologies mentioned in the plan have been turned into visible and experiential booths.
Without having to flip through thick policy texts, you can see the main industrial threads for the next five years just by walking into the exhibition area. From satellite internet in space to 6G networks on the ground, to AI computing power in the cloud, and quantum technology in laboratories, a clear technological thread from space-ground integration to intelligent computing power is evident.
The three major telecom operators have presented their respective transformation answers here. China Telecom brought the Xirang Integrated Computing Power Network and the Xingchen Large Model, covering multiple scenarios such as smart cities and industrial manufacturing, laying out the entire chain from the computing power foundation to industry applications. China Mobile focuses on the three-dimensional coordinated upgrade of "computing-network-electricity", linking energy consumption, computing power load, and Token production, turning every kilowatt-hour of electricity into high-value intelligence. China Unicom, on the other hand, focuses on digital villages and AI platforms. Achievements such as the Yuanjing Digital Employee and trusted Token infrastructure intuitively demonstrate the path for AI to penetrate into industries and rural areas.
It is not just the operators; companies across the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain have also brought their best technologies here. China Tower showcased an integrated space-air-ground-sea spatial network, connecting networks in the sky and on the ground into a single web. ZTE brought a complete 3GPP NTN end-to-end solution, along with an innovative four-in-one satellite-borne architecture, moving space-ground integration from concept to engineering realization. Lenovo exhibited computing-electricity coordinated computing power carriers, discussing how to make every kilowatt-hour of electricity exert greater computing power value. There are also Geespace's satellite mass production solutions, Xingyi Lianxin's in-orbit satellite base stations, and Liangkun Technology's quantum computing platform. Many technologies that previously only appeared in papers are now displayed on the booths.
In my view, the greatest value of this zone is providing the entire industry with a tangible picture of the 15th Five-Year Plan. In the past, when we talked about planning, it was more about directions on paper; now, through the booths, companies can find their own positions, practitioners can see the pace of technology clearly, and even ordinary visitors can perceive what future technologies will look like. This is the role of the exhibition as an industry platform, translating top-level design into an industrial language that the entire industry can understand.
- 02 -Tokens Move to the Forefront: The New Industry Measurement Standard in the AI Era
If there is one hottest keyword at this year's PT Expo, it must be Token.
In the past voice era, the industry billed by the minute; in the traffic era, we used GB to measure network value. In the AI era, the entire industry is looking for a new unit of measurement, and Token is becoming the recognized new standard of measurement.
After touring the exhibition, you will find that Token is no longer just a technical term in the large model circle, but a core proposition discussed by the entire industry. The three major telecom operators have unanimously elevated Token operations to a strategic level, collectively shifting towards Token operations. Relying on the Xirang computing power network, China Telecom has promoted the landing of Token factories in multiple locations. China Mobile's MoMA platform aggregates over 300 large models for on-demand matching. China Unicom's Yuanjing MaaS gathers more than 200 models, and is even exploring the model of cross-border Token factories, keeping computing power domestic while selling AI services overseas.
Forums on Tokens at the exhibition venue are held one after another. From the high-quality development of the Token economy to the standardization of Token services, companies from all links of the industrial chain are participating in the discussions. Vendors such as Huawei, ZTE, and Lenovo have also brought solutions for efficient Token generation and trusted Token infrastructure. More importantly, the Trusted Token Interconnection Service Platform was officially launched during the exhibition, and research results such as the Token Economy Development Research Report and the TaaS Competitiveness Matrix were released concurrently. Even the BRICS Digital Economy Forum has specially set up a roundtable session on the cross-border flow of Tokens.
Behind this is actually a fundamental logic switch for the entire industry. In the past, operators managed connections and the transportation of traffic; now they manage intelligence and the scheduling of computing power. When Token becomes a universal pricing unit, computing power is no longer an invisible and intangible resource, but has transformed into a measurable, schedulable, and tradable intelligent service. For the entire information and communications industry, this is not a simple addition of business, but a reconstruction of the business model.
Of course, the Token economy is still in its early stages, standards are still being formulated, and business models are still being explored. But from the popularity of this exhibition, it can be seen that the entire industry has reached a consensus: the competition in the next stage will largely be a competition of Token operation capabilities.
- 03 -Technologies Blooming Across the Board: Moving from Concept Demonstrations to Industrial Implementation
Another obvious feeling at this year's PT Expo is that many cutting-edge technologies are no longer staying at the concept demonstration stage, but are beginning to truly move towards implementation.
First is the accelerated integration of 6G and satellite internet. In the past, when we talked about 6G, we mostly referred to terrestrial wireless technology; now, 6G is a complete ecosystem integrating space, air, ground, and sea. At the exhibition, from terrestrial base stations, 5G-A and 6G network equipment, to low Earth orbit satellites and satellite internet terminals, key links in the entire industrial chain can find corresponding booths. Frontier concepts such as direct-to-satellite mobile phones, direct-to-satellite cars, and satellite-borne 5G base stations now have on-orbit verification results. At the 6G Academic Forum during the exhibition, experts such as Academician Zhang Ping and Academician Yin Hao mentioned that semantic communications and AI-native networks will be the core directions of 6G. Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications also jointly released experimental results on 6G semantic communications with operators. It can be said that the technological roadmap for 6G is becoming increasingly clear.
Then there is the deep integration of AI and security. With the large-scale application of intelligent agents, security issues are receiving increasing attention. This exhibition showcased a full set of technological achievements ranging from operating systems and intelligent agent security to attack tracing and emergency communications, covering multiple links including system foundations, data applications, and industrial scenarios. More than a dozen related forums were held simultaneously to discuss practical issues such as intelligent agent security, trustworthiness of autonomous networks, and model reliability. To put it bluntly, the faster AI develops, the more solid the security foundation must be. Placing AI security in such an important position at this year's exhibition indicates that the industry has shifted from blindly pursuing AI speed to a more rational approach of attaching equal importance to security and development.
The implementation of embodied intelligence is also impressive. The robots at this year's exhibition are no longer just display items that can only dance and perform as in the past, but are beginning to enter the front lines of industry. Unitree's humanoid robots, HONOR's Lightning Robot, and multi-category embodied intelligence solutions covering industrial manufacturing and service assurance are all demonstrating how robots work, rather than how they perform. Supporting forums are also discussing the engineering implementation of intelligent agents and the L4-level evolution of autonomous networks, all focusing on how to make AI truly generate value.
Quantum technology has also stepped out of the laboratory. The exhibition features not only quantum computing platforms but also medical applications of quantum sensing, as well as the industrialization path for neutral atom quantum computing power foundations. Although it is still some distance from large-scale commercialization, the pace of technology implementation is obviously accelerating.
- 04 -Forums and Consensus: Collective Calibration of the Industry Ecosystem
The weight of an exhibition is never judged solely by how lively the booths are, but more by how much industry consensus the forums produce.
This PT Expo was accompanied by nearly 30 high-end forums, with the participation of over 700 government officials, academician experts, corporate executives, and representatives from international organizations, centrally releasing more than 20 research reports and industry standards. This density is very rare among similar exhibitions.
At the main forum, the keynote report by Academician Wu Hequan, along with speeches by senior executives from multiple enterprises, basically set the tone for the industry's direction in the next year, focusing on core topics such as computing power networks, Token ecosystems, and AI applications. The various sub-forums covered more segmented tracks: the 6G forum discussed the technological evolution route, the satellite internet forum discussed the space-ground integrated layout, the computing power forum discussed the construction and scheduling of intelligent computing centers, and the quantum forum discussed the development of the entire industrial chain.
The prominence of international cooperation is evident. At the 2026 BRICS Digital Economy and Trade Investment Forum, the White Paper on the New Pattern of BRICS AI Agent Governance and Cooperation was released, along with ITU international standards for computing power energy conservation. This shows that China's information and communications industry has moved from technological follow-up to participating in and even leading the formulation of international rules. In emerging fields such as Tokens and AI governance, China's industrial practices are becoming international references.
There are also activities such as technology unboxing roadshows and AI Agent implementation salons for central and state-owned enterprises, connecting large enterprises with innovative ones, and matching technology supply with scenario demands. Many partnerships may have been reached during booth exchanges and forum discussions.
From this perspective, the PT Expo is not just a stage for displaying products, but also a collective calibration of the entire industry ecosystem. Every year, everyone gathers here to align directions, check gaps, and discuss cooperation, making the steps of the entire industry more synchronized.
- 05 -Why It Remains the Industry Bellwether
Founded in 1990, the PT Expo has been running for over 30 years. Why is it still a must-visit exhibition for industry professionals today? I think the core reason is that it has always stepped on the nodes of industry development, playing the roles of observer, promoter, and connector.
The 2026 exhibition is at a critical node at the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan, and the mission it bears is also very special. It is not only a centralized review of the industry's transformation achievements in recent years but also a collective prediction of the development direction for the next five years.
What we see at the exhibition is not just individual products, but the transformation direction of the entire industry: from managing traffic to managing intelligence, from a single network to space-ground integration, from technological concepts to industrial implementation, and from the domestic market to international rules. These changes did not happen out of thin air but were explored step by step by the entire industry. The role of the PT Expo is to gather these scattered explorations and turn them into clear industry signals.
For enterprises, coming here allows them to find directions, partners, and opportunities; for practitioners, coming here helps broaden their horizons, judge trends, and supplement their cognition; and even for the entire industry, this exhibition is a consolidation of confidence. When so many enterprises present tangible achievements and so many experts explore clear paths, we can be certain that the next five years for the information and communications industry will still be full of imagination.
After touring the entire exhibition, the biggest feeling is that the information and communications industry has never stopped moving forward. In the past, we talked about networks, traffic, and connections; now we talk about computing power, intelligence, and Tokens. Technologies are changing, business models are changing, but the driving force of the industry moving forward has never changed. The PT Expo, like a milestone set at every five-year crossroads, accompanies the industry together to the next new stage.