On April 9, 2021, the “Digital Infrastructure and Smart Future” conference was held in Shenzhen under the guidance of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). The conference was attended by Hu Jianbo (Chief Engineer of CAICT), Jin Jian (Director of Institute of Industrial Internet & Internet of Things), Sun Ke (Deputy Director of Institute of Policy and Economics), and Josh Chen (Founder of VNET Group), etc. With 25+ years of experience in Internet infrastructure, Josh Chen delivered a keynote speech on “Chain Native New Infrastructure and Hyperconnected Future Cities”. Josh Chen pointed out that the blockchain native IDC new infrastructure will empower the next-generation digital economy in the world. Edge computing of 5G base station may be a pseudo proposition. Cloud native technology, frontier network and urban computing are breeding the new species of blockchain native IDC.

Note: Josh Chen, Founder of VNET Group

The Internet industry will embrace more surprises in the final round. There is no such thing as “blockchain subverts the Internet”. It is true that we should “inherit the Internet and embrace the blockchain”. Blockchain is neither a “sector with great investment potential”, nor a fleeting “opportunity”, and it is by no means a speculation opportunity. Blockchain opens a new era and a new world. Blockchain native new infrastructure industry may be one of the major business opportunities brought by blockchain. Blockchain is a valuable gift for young people. Based on the concept of “I am the master of data”, it aims to create a personal cyberspace (personal IDC) for the new human species who believe in mathematics, can independently control cryptography, and embrace interstellar civilization and science fiction culture. Blockchain should be a new starting point for young people to enjoy “infinite games” in the final round of the Internet industry.

4G has changed our lives, and 5G will change our society. Blockchain native new infrastructure is bound to be associated with 5G. If you look at 5G from the macro perspectives of computing architecture, business model and even digital civilization evolution system, without considering the narrow logic such as 5G frequency, air interface technology and network slicing, you might find that 5G exists in two different versions, namely (4+1) 5G, (6-1) 5G. The version of (4+1) 5G still adopts the computing architecture of mobile Internet (smart phone + public cloud). Mobile apps still have unlimited potential and make huge profits in the era of (4+1) 5G. However, telecom carriers will encounter awkward situations. The existing 3G/4G traffic operation mode has a large traffic increase, but hardly any revenue increase. Compared with 4G network, the structure of CAPEX and OPEX in 5G network has been greatly improved. In a word, it is difficult for telecom carriers to find a profit model for (4+1) 5G. Josh Chen suggested that telecom carriers should make bold innovation in computing framework, ensure the basic work of flow management, and cooperate with nongovernmental technology innovation forces to promote the open-source new infrastructure underlying agreements; actively embrace the co-construction and sharing of innovative network information space for “value exchange”, and actively embrace B2B and B2G applications of DCEP, which is a digital currency issued by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC). By establishing an innovation consortium, telecom carriers can jointly create the business model of blockchain native new infrastructure sharing economy, polycentric and even decentralized open ecology, so as to empower and promote the development of the next-generation digital economy in the world.

Note: Josh Chen, Founder of VNET Group, delivered a speech at the “Digital Infrastructure and Smart Future” conference

From the perspective of popular cloud native and futuristic blockchain native, cloud native is a set of technical system and methodology, rather than a product. Essentially speaking, both industry digitization and digital industrialization should emphasize the transformation of thoughts from inside to outside, and lead the development trend and cultural trend in the future. The Internet industry will witness the upgrading of digital transformation in the final round of the Internet industry. We need to make full use of cloud native achievements, and accelerate the pace of blockchain native exploration.

The future is coming fast.

Josh Chen mentioned in his speech that the new hyperconnected future cities will have six distinctive features: 1. Habitat of cryptology enthusiasts, who will jointly build and share decentralized personal cyberspace; 2. Super video experience. The cities will be filled with large screens and multi-screen, HD/ Ultra HD, VR/AR videos, etc.; 3. Interconnection and interlinking of digital and decentralized industrial IoT; 4. Interstellar civilization and science fiction culture; 5. Distributed business organizations, cryptography economy and token transaction; 6. Blockchain native future urban public administration and social governance (digital tribal autonomy). As the founder of China's first IDC company, Josh Chen also pointed out that IDC is a neutral, high-performance computing and high energy consuming digital energy integration infrastructure (hereinafter referred to as “double high” new infrastructure), showcasing the core power of digital economy. The next-generation IDC solutions will be based on the cloud native and blockchain native technologies, the DCEP digital currency system launched by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the new power system with new energy as the main body, and China's “30·60” decarbonization strategy. We will closely cooperate with State Grid, telecom carriers and radio and television operators. The next-generation IDC solutions might become one of the major forces to promote digital China, empower the new generation of global digital economy and promote the development of hyperconnected future cities.

Review the Past & Foresee the Future

In the past 25 years, VNET Group has witnessed the emergence and rise of China's IDC industry, which was barely noticed in the early days, and gradually enjoyed popularity. In view of the needs of the times, VNET Group relies on its unique IDC wholesale plus retail dual-core strategy, and brings a new vision for the development of IDC industry in the new era. On April 21, 2021, China IDCquan and VNET Group jointly held the 2021 China IDC Discovery Summit in Beijing under the guidance of Data Center Committee of China Communications Industry Association (CCIA), in order to explore the industry development trends, focus on digital transformation and actively embrace China’s “30·60” decarbonization strategy. The conference was attended by industry leaders, experts and scholars, leading IDC enterprises, enthusiasts of blockchain native new infrastructure, explorers of the next-generation IDC solutions, authoritative media, etc. They gathered together to discuss the past, present and future of IDC, and jointly launched “infinite games” for the next-generation IDC solutions.