What PAC Expects At Mobile World Congress 2026

Once again, the global telecoms ecosystem will converge in Barcelona from 2-5 March for Mobile World Congress, the industry’s most influential annual gathering. The event will bring together telecom operators, device manufacturers, SaaS providers, hyperscalers, network equipment vendors, and enterprise customers to shape the tech agenda for 2026 and beyond. 

With more than 100,000 attendees expected, MWC26 will spotlight the technologies, business models, and partnerships redefining connectivity and digital services. PAC, alongside its dedicated telecoms research arm, Idate, will be strongly represented throughout the event. PAC expects the dominant themes at MWC for 2026 to be that:

• AI is becoming more essential for network management. PAC predicts that in 2026, business leaders will place intensified scrutiny on the measurable return of their AI investments. At MWC26, PAC expects announcements showcasing the convergence of 5G-SA, 5G-Advanced, and native AI capabilities, with a strong emphasis on intelligent network automation. Key use cases will include AI-driven orchestration engines that proactively manage network resources, dynamically optimize performance, and sustain high service quality under peak demand. Closed-loop automation, powered by continuous analysis of traffic, congestion, and usage data, will be central. Energy efficiency across networks and data centers will remain a critical priority.
• AI is defining the user device interface for personalized, voice-based AI services. Search is rapidly evolving as AI becomes central to how users access and interact with information. At MWC26, PAC expects major announcements around ultra-low-latency streaming AI engines that enable telco assistants to interpret user intent in real time, without disrupting conversational flow. Enhanced AI assistants embedded in devices such as the T-Phone 3, Samsung Galaxy AI, and Xiaomi HyperAI smartphones will deliver highly contextual insights ranging from live weather updates to location-aware content and search results during active interactions. These developments signal a strategic shift toward intent-driven services, positioning telcos as providers of actionable, AI-powered digital experiences.
• Network APIs are empowering telcos to emerge as subscription hubs. PAC anticipates announcements at MWC26 regarding open-API adoptions that enable automated service provisioning and real-time policy control for premium offerings. For instance, telcos are exploring their role as subscription hubs. These hubs orchestrate ecosystems that aggregate different third-party services. This model allows telco customers to assemble personalized bundles, manage renewals flexibly, and receive a single, transparent bill. Powered by AI-driven analytics, telcos continuously monitor subscription performance, activation trends, and churn signals. These insights simplify bundling for content providers and resellers, transforming subscriptions from isolated transactions into integrated, dynamic service experiences.
• Guaranteed connectivity is reemerging as a value-added service by telcos. At MWC26, PAC expects renewed emphasis on telcos’ foundational strengths: delivering guaranteed, high-quality connectivity. We anticipate announcements centered on assured quality-of-service propositions enabled by advanced RAN-sharing and multi-network interoperability models. In particular, 5G-Advanced multi-carrier aggregation, such as 3CC and 4CC configurations, will feature prominently, combining low- and mid-band spectrum across multiple operators to deliver superior performance. These architectures enable faster speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability. For enterprise and premium consumer segments, such capabilities translate into a consistently optimized, end-to-end 5G experience that reinforces telcos’ strategic differentiation.
• European telcos are pushing their sovereign cloud and GPUaaS deployments. At MWC26, PAC expects European telcos to spotlight sovereign cloud strategies and emerging GPU-as-a-Service offerings as core pillars of their differentiation. Rather than competing head-to-head with the US or China on sheer compute scale, European providers like Orange are positioning themselves around trust, compliance, and industrial relevance. Sovereign cloud platforms, including Deutsche Telekom’s Industrial AI Cloud initiative, leverage Europe’s deep industrial expertise and rich B2B data ecosystems. By ensuring data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience, these infrastructures enable enterprises to run critical AI workloads securely, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy in the AI era.
• Mission-critical networks are emerging as defense-related national initiatives. At MWC26, PAC expects national security considerations to take a far more prominent position on the industry agenda. Announcements are likely to focus on mission-critical networks designed to mitigate industrial espionage, support secure blue-light and military communications, and enable connected defense use cases—from digitally enabled soldiers to fully networked operational units. Deutsche Telekom’s T Mission is a good example. We also anticipate advances in real-time threat detection, including AI-driven identification of phishing attempts and proactive caller risk alerts. As data protection and resilience become non-negotiable, telcos’ ability to deliver secure, compliant infrastructure positions them as trusted partners for governments, enterprises, and technology providers alike.
• Some telecom and device vendors are expanding deeper into automotive markets. At MWC26, PAC expects further evidence of telcos and technology vendors accelerating their pivot to the automotive sector. Xiaomi’s continued presence, following its previous showcases, will likely be reinforced by new demonstrations of its YU7 lineup. Huawei is also expected to attract significant attention, potentially unveiling the Maextro S800, its flagship electric sedan developed with JAC Group under the HIMA alliance. These are not experimental ventures: Xiaomi achieved positive automotive cash flow in under two years, while the Maextro S800 is outselling established luxury competitors. Together, these developments signal an alignment of networking, mobility, and manufacturing.

If you are a tech vendor, please let me know if you want to set up a meeting at MWC26 to brief me on any of these themes, or if you are an end user and you want to share a showcase of how you use modern network solutions to deliver value to your customers or employees.

I will provide updates of impressions throughout the event and also follow up with impressions after the event.

E-mail: d.bieler@pacanalyst.com