China Telecom, Wuhu Fire Rescue, United Aircraft, and ZTE launch 5G-A powered drone firefighting solution

Partnership pioneers an intelligent, high-efficiency firefighting system that redefines emergency response capabilities through 5G-A and drone innovation.

Partner Content With the acceleration of urbanization, fire rescue in high-rise buildings has become a global challenge. High temperatures, thick smoke, and rapidly changing fire conditions threaten lives and property every second. Yet, traditional firefighting equipment is often ineffective in such scenarios.

To address the challenges of high-rise firefighting, China Telecom, Wuhu Fire Rescue, United Aircraft, and ZTE have jointly launched a drone fire rescue solution, utilizing 5G-A integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) technology.

Compared to traditional fire trucks, surveillance drones can rapidly reach rescue sites to assess hazards, while large firefighting drones can efficiently fight high-rise fires. However, conventional drone solutions face limitations: WiFi signals are prone to interference, and wired controls are susceptible to cable entanglement.

The 5G-A ISAC-powered drone fire rescue solution, enables real-time transmission of 4K HD footage and thermal imaging data from surveillance drones via 5G-A networks. This allows command centers to clearly evaluate risks and formulate rescue strategies based on live video and multi-dimensional data. Large firefighting drones can deploy extinguishing equipment at optimal heights, implementing tailored procedures for different high-rise buildings. Meanwhile, 5G-A sensing technology can precisely detect drones of all sizes, delivering anti-collision warnings to protect critical flight rescue corridors. The solution empowers smart firefighting, completing an efficient rescue cycle from early warning through quick response to effective resolution.

In recent years, Wuhu City has experienced consistent growth in the number of super high-rise buildings exceeding 100 meters, with the tallest structure reaching 274 meters. This has created a critical need to overcome the height limitations of traditional firefighting ladder trucks. The 5G-A ISAC-powered drone fire rescue solution effectively addresses this challenge and has achieved remarkable results in practical applications: Surveillance drones can respond and arrive at the scene within five minutes to transmit real-time video—reducing response time by approximately 75% compared to traditional rescue trucks. Large firefighting drones can effectively overcome the height restrictions of conventional firefighting equipment, successfully extinguishing high-rise building fires during drills. Specifically, drones with an external fire retardant supply can operate at 200 meters for over an hour, continuously spraying fire extinguishing agents, which significantly enhances safety for both responders and occupants.

The deep integration of 5G-A ISAC technology into Wuhu's urban fire rescue solution has achieved functional convergence of communication, sensing, and control capabilities. This breakthrough empowers Wuhu Fire Rescue to reach industry-leading standards in response speed, operational safety, and emergency handling efficiency, establishing new technological benchmarks for smart city emergency rescue systems.

Moving forward, the four partners will further strengthen their partnership to promote wider deployment of this solution, and build a next-generation intelligent fire rescue management ecosystem.

Contributed by ZTE.