MIIT Issues ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ for Information and Communications Industry
Core Event: Plan Officially Published
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the ‘15th Five-Year Plan for Information and Communications Industry Development’ on August 12, 2026, and publicly released it on September 7, 2026.
- Document type: Industry-guiding plan covering 2026–2030 development roadmap
- Issuing authority: MIIT’s Institute of Information and Communications Development
- Scope: Provincial industrial and信息化 authorities,通信regulators, associations, and enterprises nationwide
- Key focus: The plan contains no ban on off-grid communication features, though industry watchers await clarity on implementation frameworks
Background and Current Market Status
A recent claim circulating online that “all smartphone brands will temporarily lack off-grid communication functionality” contradicts the actual policy landscape. MIIT’s published plan—which makes no mention of banning Huawei’s CommFF off-grid messaging—focuses on overarching industry goals including 5G-A/6G advancement, internet architecture evolution, and security capability enhancement.
Commercially, Huawei’s CommFF off-grid messaging launched in November 2025 alongside the Mate 80 series and has since been rolled out across multiple active devices. Huawei’s official site confirms current compatibility with:
- Mate 80 series (excluding Wind chilling variant)
- Mate X7 series
- nova 15 series
- Mate 70 Air
- Mate XTs
- Pura 80 series
- nova 14 Ultra
- nova 14 Pro
Notable discrepancy: Despite being Huawei’s flagship 2026 offering, the Pura 90 Pro Max is absent from the supported list, sparking user questions. This likely stems from hardware-level requirements: off-grid messaging demands specific RF modules and baseband coordination that not all phone designs inherently possess.
Technical Basics and Deployment Progress
CommFF is a short-range device-to-device messaging technology leveraging Wi-Fi/Bluetooth射频 signals—operating without cellular network coverage over distances up to ~100 meters. Unlike satellite-based systems, it repurposes existing wireless chips for peer-to-peer text exchange.
Adoption has followed a phased rollout: Huawei began OTA updates post-November 2025 launch and had covered roughly eight flagship models by mid-2026. The strategy covers high-end flagships, foldables, and mid-range nova series—demonstrating that software-defined radio (SDR) platform compatibility matters more than raw hardware specifications.
Recommendations for Consumers
- Best for immediate adoption: Business travelers frequently in remote areas (mountains, forests, offshore zones) or privacy-conscious users aiming to minimize network dependency
- Worth waiting for: Budget-conscious buyers should consider nova 14 successors or late-2026 releases; Pura series users targeting this feature may wish to wait for Pura 90 Pro or future iterations
Why No Ban? Policy Subtexts
The plan explicitly encourages “diverse communication innovation and scenario expansion.” This phrasing leaves room for off-grid solutions, suggesting the real industry question is cross-vendor interoperability: Can Huawei users message those on non-Huawei devices once third-party adoption grows? No barriers appear in current policy, though future industry standards may emerge via association-led initiatives.
Bottom Line
Off-grid messaging remains a niche-enabler rather than core functionality. Its adoption pace hinges on tangible user needs and vendor investment—not regulatory approval. Policy documents provide=nameplate guidance; practical survival depends on consumer demand and ecosystem collaboration.