China Mobile Invokes Domestic Innovation with Major Huawei Chip Procurement
Summary:
- China Mobile is leading the push for domestic AI chip development, particularly with Huawei’s Shengteng series.
- The telecom giant has secured a significant procurement project valued at 155 million yuan, focused on intelligent computing solutions.
- This initiative highlights China’s commitment to reducing reliance on foreign technology and bolstering its domestic chip industry.
On February 7, Kuai Technology reported a significant development in China’s ambition to enhance its domestic AI chip capabilities. While the nation’s AI chips still trail behind industry giants like Nvidia, there is a burgeoning potential that, with strategic support, could ignite widespread innovation.
China Mobile has emerged as a front-runner in advocating for domestic chips, particularly those developed by Huawei. The most recent announcement from the China Government Procurement Network revealed that China Mobile Guangdong Company won a bid worth 155 million yuan for the "Guangming Large Device Computing Service Support Platform Procurement Project." This procurement includes a state-of-the-art solution comprising Huawei’s warm and cold data backup storage equipment, priced at approximately 44.6 million yuan.
The project carries a total budget of 155.5 million yuan, which encompasses a broad array of items, including intelligent computing power service system software, hardware, information security, and operational maintenance solutions—all of which are explicitly marked with a mandate to “rejection of import.” This clause underscores the focal point of the procurement: a resolute commitment to domestic technological advancement.
Robust Infrastructure for Intelligent Computing
The bidding announcement elucidated that the construction of Guangming’s large installation will utilize Huawei’s Ascend 910C equipment alongside its Tiangong architecture, known for facilitating ultra-dense computing clusters. This project will be powered by Huawei’s high-performance Lingqu bus, an infrastructure designed to bolster computing efficacy.
The overall system is poised to deliver exceptional intelligent computing capabilities—boasting an impressive 160 billion 16-bit floating point operations per second. It consists of two critical subsystems: the basic hardware and supporting software. A noteworthy feature of the global storage subsystem includes the inclusion of high-performance tier storage devices, specifically the OceanStor A800 with a solid-state drive (SSD) capacity of 30.9PB, and the OceanStor Pacific 9550 featuring a hard disk drive (HDD) capacity of 62PB.
This significant investment by China Mobile marks an initial yet crucial step in championing the efforts to support domestic chip development. Such moves indicate that other organizations may follow suit, reflecting a burgeoning trend toward self-sufficiency in China’s technology sector.
Building a Sustainable Future
The implications of this procurement extend beyond immediate computational needs. By investing in local technology and infrastructure, China Mobile and similar organizations play an instrumental role in nurturing a sustainable future for China’s technology landscape. The commitment to rely less on imported technology could catalyze a shift towards innovative research and development, ultimately positioning China as a formidable contender in the global tech arena.
China’s focus on the domestic chip industry, particularly through significant projects like this one, presents a strategic opportunity to level the playing field with leading global entities. The increased reliance on indigenous technologies may lead to advancements that not only bridge the current gap with foreign competitors but also pave the way for breakthroughs that could redefine the AI landscape on a global scale.
In conclusion, the move by China Mobile to procure Huawei’s Ascend 910C chips is a clear endorsement of domestic capabilities, signaling a crucial juncture in China’s drive for tech independence. As more enterprises engage in similar initiatives, the potential for domestic technologies to flourish is not only probable but highly anticipated. This strategic pivot could very well illuminate a path towards a robust, self-reliant technological future for China.
