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What did MWC 2026 say about innovation in future networks?
From AI-driven infrastructure to enterprise platforms, the telecom industry is trying to turn 5G investment into a new wave of digital services while laying the groundwork for 6G
Mobile connectivity generated $7.6 trillion in economic value in 2025, equivalent to 6.4% of global GDP, according to the GSMA’s Mobile Economy 2026 report released at MWC in Barcelona last week. The organisation expects that figure to reach $11.3 trillion by 2030. Telecom infrastructure now sits at the centre of the global digital economy – the question for operators and technology companies is what comes next.
According to global industry organisation, the GSMA, the sector is moving away from a connectivity-led model towards platforms built on 5G standalone, AI, and open APIs. Operators want new sources of revenue after years of heavy infrastructure investment.
“Last year, mobile connected 5.8 billion people and contributed $7.6 trillion to the global economy. However, if we want to unlock the full promise of 5G and harness AI responsibly, we must act with urgency,” says Vivek Badrinath, director general of the GSMA.
Enterprise technology sits at the centre of that ambition. Private mobile networks, edge computing, and industrial connectivity were recurring themes across the event. Telecom companies are positioning themselves as suppliers of infrastructure for factories, logistics systems, and data-driven industries.
AI also featured heavily in discussions about network development. Vendors demonstrated systems that monitor traffic, adjust radio performance, and predict congestion. The aim is to automate network operations as systems grow more complex.
“Signing an MOU with Taiwan’s renowned ITRI research centre demonstrated that our platform’s global reach is accelerating.”
Peter Marshall, JOINER industry lead
The shift toward AI-native infrastructure was also reflected in new industry collaborations announced during the event. Nvidia said it was working with operators including BT, Deutsche Telekom, and SoftBank to develop open, software-defined wireless platforms for future networks, arguing that 6G will be built as an AI-native system with intelligence embedded across the radio access network, edge, and core.
Similar ideas are shaping how operators and vendors now talk about the future of telecom infrastructure. As Börje Ekholm, chief executive of Ericsson, has consistently argued, 5G networks will increasingly serve as platforms for innovation across industries.
Such technology reflects the increasing “softwareisation” of telecom infrastructure. Cloud-based architectures and virtualised networks allow operators to manage capacity across large distributed systems.
Enterprise demand is shaping much of this work. Businesses are investing heavily in digital systems that depend on reliable low-latency connectivity. The theme was also reflected in research demonstrations and collaborations highlighted during the event.
“MWC 2026 marked a defining moment for JOINER and for UK telecoms innovation,” says Peter Marshall, JOINER industry lead. “We showcased five demos, covering AI (including one in partnership with BT and Nvidia), Non-Terrestrial Networks, Spectrum and Holographic Telepresence, which proved that next generation connectivity is being built right now, right here in Bristol with JOINER. Signing an MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] with Taiwan’s renowned ITRI research centre demonstrated that our platform’s global reach is accelerating, something we will be building on in the coming months.”
Robotics, industrial sensors, and automated logistics networks all require stable data links and computing resources close to where information is produced, and telecom operators see an opportunity to supply that infrastructure. Private 5G deployments, edge computing facilities, and integrated cloud services are central to that strategy.
Future network standards also formed part of the discussion. Work is underway on technologies that will underpin the next generation of mobile systems. These include wider radio channels, new spectrum bands, and networks designed with artificial intelligence built into their architecture.
Commercial deployment of those systems remains some years away. Most activity today centres on extending the capabilities of existing networks through 5G standalone and 5G Advanced technologies.
Security has also moved higher up the agenda. The GSMA estimates that the global cost of cybercrime could reach $15.6 trillion by 2029. As telecom networks become more software-driven and integrated with cloud infrastructure, operators are placing greater emphasis on resilience and secure identity systems.
MWC has always been a showcase for the future of mobile technology, and this year the event offered a picture of where innovation in telecom networks is heading. As Peter Vetter, president of Bell Labs Core Research at Nokia, says in a podcast, “one new capability that we are exploring with 6G is the opportunity to not only communicate but also use the radio channel as a sensor.” Future networks will need to support communication, computing, and sensing at the same time. The real challenge is building infrastructure that industries and societies can depend on.
Marc Ambasna Jones / Working as a technology journalist and writer since 1989, Marc has written for a wide range of titles on technology, business, education, politics and sustainability, with work appearing in The Guardian, The Register, New Statesman, Computer Weekly and many more.
Working as a technology journalist and writer since 1989, Marc has written for a wide range of titles on technology, business, education, politics and sustainability, with work appearing in The Guardian, The Register, New Statesman, Computer Weekly and many more.
