'Two networks' help Shanghai reshape services, management

Shanghai will invest in 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud and data analysis technologies as part of efforts to become a smart city. It also plans to upgrade two city-level networks for services and management in the near future, Shanghai deputies told the ongoing National People's Congress.

“The networks, still being adapted, serve as a golden name card for Shanghai’s improved business environment,” said Shao Zhiqing, a Shanghai deputy to the National People’s Congress, who is also former vice director of the Shanghai Economy and Information Technology Commission.

Up to now, more than 23 million people and 2.05 million firms have joined the city-level networks. The networks can handle many executive and regulation processes online, such as work resumption applications. They helped enterprises and business people save time and visits to local bureaus during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Shanghai government’s service portals processed over 10 million items about residents’ issues, while its data center now stores over 95 million certificates and licenses of residents and companies so they don’t have to carry papers around when dealing with official issues, said Chen Jing, secretary general of the Shanghai government, also a NPC deputy.

Next, Shanghai will push for regional service data integration and applications with the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang so that city residents will enjoy the same conveniences out of town, Chen said on Monday.

The networks have upgraded urban management, especially in fighting against the virus spread and speeding up work-resumption processes.

The local medical regulator has adopted an out-of-town visitor health tracking system since January 31, connecting all related organizations at airports, hospitals and communities. By March 12, the system covered 8.03 million visitors to Shanghai by airplane, railway and bus, with improved efficiency and accuracy to combat the risks and loopholes presented by imported COVID-19 cases.

Shanghai’s airports, along with seven taxi companies and public transportation bureau, also adopted taxi route maps and databases which can “predict” real-time traffic and demand. Smart weather and airport systems will also contribute during this year’s China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

The city management platform integrates data from 22 bureaus, which include public security, transport, health care, weather forecasts, public utilities and environmental protection.

Also, data collected from the public should be applied reasonably with minimal intrusion into people’s privacy, said Shao.

In May, Shanghai announced an investment of at least 270 billion yuan (US$38.6 billion) in three years in digital infrastructure construction.

By 2022, according to the three-year new infrastructure blueprint, the city will have over 100 autonomous factories or production lines featuring the latest AI applications; 150,000 cloud enterprises; more 5G base stations offering coverage and download speeds up to 500 megabits per second; more Internet data centers supporting cloud and artificial intelligence applications; more roads and spaces supporting driverless vehicle tests; an additional 100,000 charging poles for new-energy vehicles and 18,000 smart lockers supporting online shopping and e-commerce.