Driven by policies and empowered by technology, the digital walkie-talkie industry has entered a new stage of high-quality development

(Reporter Dou Bao) With the implementation of policies optimizing spectrum resources and breakthroughs in the localization of core technologies, China's digital walkie-talkie industry is rapidly transitioning away from low-end price competition and towards high added value, intelligence, and scenario-specific applications. Data shows that in 2024, domestic shipments of digital walkie-talkies reached 8.6 million units, marking an 18.9% year-on-year increase. The localization rate of core components exceeded 60%, and the industrial ecosystem continued to improve, with significant increases in application penetration in fields such as emergency communication, smart manufacturing, and transportation.

Behind the industry upgrade lies precise guidance at the policy level. The relevant notice previously issued by the National Radio Office clearly categorizes walkie-talkies in the 150MHz and 400MHz frequency bands into four types, requiring the adoption of digital technology systems for all except public walkie-talkies. Meanwhile, by simplifying licensing procedures and optimizing channel allocation, policy dividends are released for the development of the digital walkie-talkie industry. As the "hometown of walkie-talkies in China", Nanan, Quanzhou, has formed a well-established industrial cluster. In 2024, local enterprises obtained approval for over 300 models of digital walkie-talkies, marking a year-on-year increase of over 50%. The annual production and sales volume of digital terminals reached 600,000 units, making it a benchmark for industrial transformation nationwide.

The breakthrough in the localization of core components has laid a solid foundation for the high-quality development of the industry. In recent years, local enterprises such as Unigroup Spreadtrum and Aojie Technology have launched dedicated communication chips that have achieved breakthroughs in power consumption control, encryption performance, and multi-mode compatibility. The unit price of these chips has decreased by about 30% compared to imported products, significantly boosting the localization rate of the entire equipment. In 2023, the proportion of key components such as domestic chips and RF modules in digital walkie-talkies reached 61.3%, doubling compared to 2020. This not only reduces manufacturing costs but also enhances the resilience of the supply chain, prompting leading enterprises such as Hytera and Kaili Communication to transition to a "terminal + platform + service" model. The proportion of service revenue for some enterprises has approached 30%.

In terms of application scenarios, digital walkie-talkies are evolving from single voice terminals to industrial intelligent nodes, deeply integrating into the digitalization process of various industries. In the construction and manufacturing industry, equipment with IP54 dustproof rating and military standard certification can operate stably in high dust and strong vibration environments. Through dynamic spectrum management technology, the channel collision rate is reduced from 27% to 4%. Coupled with the one-key emergency function, the response time for emergencies is significantly shortened. In the transportation sector, digital walkie-talkies, with their strong signal penetration and multi-thread communication capabilities, achieve efficient collaboration in scenarios such as ports, high-speed railways, and airports. After adopting relevant equipment, a certain container terminal has maintained a communication success rate of over 95%, and the voice delay in the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway scenario is controlled within 0.5 seconds.

Industry association representatives stated that as the deadline for the complete withdrawal of analog intercom equipment from the network approaches in 2027, the digital intercom market is poised for explosive growth. It is expected that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will remain at 14.2% from 2025 to 2030, with the market size expected to surpass RMB 32 billion by 2030. In the future, with the deep integration of 5G private networks, industrial internet technology, and digital intercoms, equipment will further integrate functions such as positioning, sensing, and AI voice recognition, opening up broader spaces in emerging fields such as emergency management, energy and power, and low-altitude economy.

Industry experts point out that industrial upgrading requires collaborative efforts from all parties. On the one hand, it is necessary to continuously increase R&D investment to overcome technical bottlenecks such as cross-network communication delays and multi-mode compatibility. On the other hand, market supervision should be strengthened to crack down on the production and sale of illegal equipment and purify the industry environment. It is believed that under the triple drive of policy guidance, technological innovation, and scenario demand, China's digital walkie-talkie industry will achieve a leap from a "manufacturing giant" to a "manufacturing powerhouse", providing solid communication support for the digital transformation of various industries.