ZTE AIR MAX, a new mobile network solution from ZTE Corporation, made its official debut at MWC Barcelona 2026 on March 3, 2026. The solution centers on maximizing energy efficiency, labor efficiency, and investment efficiency for telecommunications operators navigating the demands of the AI era.
Zhang Wanchun, Senior Vice President of ZTE, delivered the opening keynote and outlined the company’s development vision. “Since the launch of ChatGPT at the end of 2022, the global technological landscape has undergone a fundamental transformation,” Zhang said. “ZTE will actively drive the transformation of mobile networks and embrace new historical opportunities hand in hand with industrial partners.”
ZTE AIR MAX Three-Tier Capability System
ZTE AIR MAX constructs a three-tier capability system built on a 10-block full-stack artificial intelligence capability. The three tiers comprise an AI-native infrastructure layer, an L4 autonomous intelligent operations layer, and a monetization engine layer. Together, they target upgrades in technical architecture, production efficiency, and business models.
Tang Xue, Vice President of ZTE and General Manager of Strategy and Architecture of Wireless and Computing Products, provided a detailed interpretation of the solution. “In 2025, we launched the AIR solution; today, we shift our focus from network performance to business value,” Tang said. “AIR MAX drives systematic capability upgrades targeting maximized energy efficiency, workforce efficiency, and investment efficiency.”
AI-Native Infrastructure Layer
The AI-native infrastructure layer focuses on technical architecture upgrading through four key capabilities. The embedded AI Radio reduces energy consumption by 35–40% compared with traditional power amplifiers, while MIMO enhancement technologies improve spectral efficiency by 20%. The heterogeneous computing architecture, designated ASIC AI plus xPU, has been deployed in over 150,000 sites globally.
Furthermore, AI-driven GigaMIMO achieves an ultra-high throughput of 192 Gbps and a 6-fold increase in edge rate. In addition, AI-empowered integrated sensing and communication achieves an accuracy rate of over 95% in drone detection, supporting high-precision sensing applications across multiple sectors.
L4 Autonomous Operations and Monetization Engine
The L4 autonomous intelligent operations layer targets production efficiency through a low-hallucination “1+N” model matrix. This collaboration between general large models and professional small models achieves a 92% accuracy rate in autonomous decision-making and 95% factual consistency in outputs. The system has been deployed across 20 high-value scenarios.
The Co-Sight 2.0 agent factory enables minute-level generation of industrial-grade intelligent agents. Meanwhile, the Co-Claw digital employee supports end-to-end collaboration among multiple agents, realizing closed-loop operations with minimal human intervention. In the TeleManagement Forum Autonomous Network Level assessment, ZTE’s capabilities in RAN energy efficiency optimization and fault management reached a high performance tier.
The monetization engine layer drives business model innovation by combining experience monetization with scenario-based value-added packages. It leverages wide-area deterministic connectivity, low-latency distributed computing, and real-time data to establish a high-value closed-loop AI capability. The layer also supports eSIM-like agent authentication, on-demand subnet orchestration, and terminal-edge-cloud collaborative computing.
Industry Implications and Future Outlook
“This is not only a technical upgrade, but also an in-depth transformation of the business model,” Tang Xue stated. “ZTE AIR MAX drives the industry’s transformation from traffic sales to AI service provision, and helps operators steadily transform from traditional telecom operators to technology enterprises.”
The solution was jointly launched by six ZTE vice presidents, including Zhang Wanchun, Tang Xue, Chen Xinyu, Li Xiaotong, Zheng Peng, and Zhao Weiqun. ZTE positions the release as a step toward integrating AI deeply into mobile network infrastructure, with the stated goal of opening new value creation paths for the broader telecommunications industry.