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 spectrum resource optimization policies and breakthroughs in core technology localization, China's digital walkie-talkie industry is accelerating its transition 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 areas such as emergency communication, smart manufacturing, and transportation.

Behind the industry's upgrading lies the precise guidance from the policy level. The relevant notice previously issued by the National Radio Office clearly categorizes walkie-talkies in the 150MHz and 400MHz bands into four types, requiring the adoption of digital technology systems for all except public walkie-talkies. Meanwhile, by simplifying the licensing process and optimizing channel division, 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 specialized 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 complete machines. In 2023, the proportion of key components such as domestic chips and RF modules in complete digital walkie-talkies reached 61.3%, doubling compared to 2020. This not only reduces manufacturing costs but also enhances supply chain resilience, prompting leading enterprises such as Hytera and Kaili Xun 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 sector, 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-button emergency function, the response time for emergencies is significantly shortened. In the transportation sector, digital walkie-talkies leverage strong signal penetration and multi-thread communication capabilities to 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 voice delay is controlled within 0.5 seconds in the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway scenario.

Industry association representatives stated that as the 2027 deadline for the comprehensive withdrawal of analog intercom equipment approaches, 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 32 billion yuan 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 concerted 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 demands, 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.