Province-wide 5G cross-network roaming for emergency scenarios has been achieved in Sichuan. The Sichuan Communications Administration coordinated the effort, bringing together four basic telecom operators in the region: China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Broadcasting Network.
Field tests were carried out at Foshoushan New Village in Guang'an's Xiexing Town and Xisuo Group 2 in Maerkang, Aba. The results confirmed successful cross-operator network interconnection, with cross-network link connectivity and cross-region data transfer fully operational. Key services—voice and video calls, emergency calls, emergency SMS, and data transmission—met expected testing benchmarks.
The initiative responds to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s directives on disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, and aligns with Ministry of Industry and Information Technology guidance on emergency communication support. The resulting framework, described as “multi-network coordination with one network as the safety net,” ensures that when natural disasters or emergencies damage some operators' networks, affected users can still roam to any remaining active 5G network. This sustains communication for command, dispatch, and rescue operations.
This progress expands cross-operator coordination and strengthens the province's emergency communication capacity under extreme conditions. Looking ahead, the Sichuan Communications Administration will focus on new requirements of the “15th Five-Year Plan” for emergency communication, enhancing mechanisms, equipment, networks, and personnel to provide robust information and communication support for disaster management.