{"id":14140,"date":"2026-02-24T12:43:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/?p=14140"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:44:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:44:07","slug":"mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/","title":{"rendered":"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year&#8217;s event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:41% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20-Years-MWC-Barcelona-1024x652.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14156 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20-Years-MWC-Barcelona-1024x652.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20-Years-MWC-Barcelona-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20-Years-MWC-Barcelona-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20-Years-MWC-Barcelona-1536x979.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20-Years-MWC-Barcelona-2048x1305.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now in its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwcbarcelona.com\/20-years\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">twentieth year<\/a>&nbsp;in Barcelona,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwcbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MWC26<\/a>&nbsp;arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event is, on the surface, a showcase of technical innovation. Yet these themes function as signposts of the industry\u2019s economic relevance and its capacity for future growth, both within telecom and across adjacent sectors.\u00a0In reality, mobile\u00a0operators are reorganising around enterprise expansion, programmable\u00a0networks\u00a0and new revenue models &#8211; with AI, 5G standalone and sovereign infrastructure forming part of that broader repositioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:auto 21%\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-richard-cockle-nbsp-head-of-gsma-foundry-and-connected-industries-says-nbsp-mwc26-puts-smart-connectivity-centre-stage-uniting-ai-5g-and-programmable-networks-with-enterprise-demand-to-shape-the-future-of-the-digital-economy-nbsp\">Richard Cockle,&nbsp;Head of GSMA Foundry and Connected Industries, says&nbsp;\u201c<em>MWC26 puts smart connectivity centre stage &#8211; uniting AI, 5G and programmable networks with enterprise demand to shape the future of the digital economy<\/em>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/h6>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Richard-Cockle_headshot.jpg\" alt=\"A person with short brown hair, light-colored eyes, and a neutral expression is wearing a black zip-up sweater against a gray background.\" class=\"wp-image-7940 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Richard-Cockle_headshot.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Richard-Cockle_headshot-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Richard-Cockle_headshot-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-iot-growth-underpinning-the-1-trillion-enterprise-opportunity-nbsp\"><strong>IoT growth underpinning the $1 trillion enterprise opportunity<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The scale of the opportunity explains the speed of the industry\u2019s transformation.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsmaintelligence.com\/research\/telco-ai-state-of-the-market-q4-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GSMAi<\/a>&nbsp;forecasts that by 2030 enterprise digital transformation across manufacturing, mobility,&nbsp;energy&nbsp;and finance could&nbsp;represent&nbsp;a $1 trillion addressable market for operators that successfully integrate connectivity, compute&nbsp;and AI. Consumer growth alone will not sustain margins. Enterprise demand for secure, programmable networks will.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growth of the IoT underlies this structural change. The number of IoT devices is forecast to rise to 37 billion by 2030, with enterprise verticals driving&nbsp;the majority of&nbsp;that expansion. Building on the success of LPWAN in licensed spectrum, massive IoT continues to expand, aided by technologies such as ambient IoT and NTN, which increase both the number of connected devices and the geographies in which they can&nbsp;operate. Of course, connectivity is only one layer of that value chain. Securing,&nbsp;analysing&nbsp;and optimising the resulting data flows creates&nbsp;additional&nbsp;revenue pools, and we expect operators to play a key role here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-enterprise-demand-signals-accelerating-nbsp\"><strong>Enterprise demand signals accelerating<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recent enterprise surveys reinforce this shift. Organisations across sectors increasingly view connectivity, cloud&nbsp;integration&nbsp;and AI as foundational to their digital transformation plans, rather than optional enhancements. The emphasis is moving towards scalable platforms that combine secure connectivity with analytics and automation capabilities. For operators, this&nbsp;represents&nbsp;not only a connectivity opportunity, but a broader services play built around integration,&nbsp;security&nbsp;and performance guarantees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Operators&#8217; role in the smart mobility sector is a clear example of how this works in practice. AI-enabled traffic systems, vehicle-to-everything communication and predictive infrastructure analytics all depend on low latency and reliable connectivity. In manufacturing, private 5G networks combined with AI-driven robotics and machine vision improve productivity and resilience. In fintech, operators are exploring AI-based fraud detection and identity verification, using network-level data to strengthen security. Each of these use cases reinforces the role of the network as a programmable platform as opposed to a simple connectivity offering.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-esim-security-and-the-quantum-gap-nbsp\"><strong>eSIM, security and the quantum gap<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">eSIM\u00a0and\u00a0iSIM\u00a0evolution form part of this broader operator strategy. As IoT connections grow, remote provisioning and lifecycle management become central to enterprise connectivity strategy. Here, SGP.32 continues to play a key role in enabling scalable remote provisioning. Alongside this, the industry is steadily shifting towards post-quantum cryptography, which will\u00a0ultimately require\u00a0eSIM\u00a0and\u00a0iSIM\u00a0to evolve alongside network infrastructure. For operators, the ability to manage secure, future-proof SIM architectures at scale in the post-quantum era strengthens their position in enterprise IoT ecosystems.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As quantum technologies gain momentum, the growing number of quantum-focused events and exhibitors suggests that awareness is reaching critical mass within the industry. This is because of the huge gap in the market quantum is expected to fill. For example, only around 8% of IoT devices currently in active use are considered quantum safe, yet&nbsp;the vast majority of&nbsp;operators believe meaningful quantum threats&nbsp;remain&nbsp;several years away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/gsma_resources\/blog-mobile-tech-trends-what-to-watch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Like last year<\/a>, security will be another defining trend at MWC26. Security&nbsp;remains&nbsp;a foundation for all connected solutions. The need for collaboration is ongoing&nbsp;in order to&nbsp;overcome the persistent vulnerabilities in the broader device ecosystem.&nbsp;GSMAi&nbsp;estimates that a major security breach could equate to 2\u20133% of telco revenues globally. As enterprise revenue becomes more central to operator strategy, trust and resilience become commercial assets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:31% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"710\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/AI_image_white_on_blue_710x688.png\" alt=\"A glowing blue outline of a human head faces left, overlaid with circuit patterns. The letters \u201cAI\u201d are centered inside the head, symbolizing artificial intelligence. The background is dark with scattered small lights resembling stars or data nodes.\" class=\"wp-image-11490 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/AI_image_white_on_blue_710x688.png 710w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/AI_image_white_on_blue_710x688-300x291.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, AI is amplifying&nbsp;scam&nbsp;sophistication, from synthetic voice fraud to automated phishing at scale.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anti-scam&nbsp;initiatives, identity&nbsp;APIs&nbsp;and post-quantum preparedness are therefore moving into mainstream strategic planning. In this context, security is a critical part of the enterprise value proposition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-network-apis-and-programmable-connectivity-nbsp\"><strong>Network APIs and programmable connectivity<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another core theme at MWC26 will be the exposure of network capabilities through APIs, particularly the CAMARA Open APIs backed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/gsma-open-gateway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GSMA Open Gateway<\/a>. A long-term industry goal, programmable networks allow enterprises and developers to access location verification, identity&nbsp;authentication&nbsp;and quality-on-demand. Strategically, this tilts the operator role from connectivity supplier to capability provider. This commercial importance is underscored by the growing number of organisations throwing their weight behind the initiative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are several reasons for this. For AI applications, access to network intelligence creates new optimisation pathways. Enterprises can request guaranteed performance for specific workloads, while developers can embed network features directly into applications. The commercial potential lies in repeatability and scale. Rather than negotiating bespoke integrations for each enterprise client, operators can offer standardised, API-driven services that integrate seamlessly with AI platforms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5g-standalone-as-the-platform-for-ai-native-networks-nbsp\"><strong>5G standalone as the platform for AI-native networks<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:32% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1219474324-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Futuristic digital illustration of &quot;5G&quot; in wireframe style with binary zeros and ones scattered throughout the dark background. Green neon lines and geometric shapes enhance the sense of advanced technology and connectivity.\" class=\"wp-image-5049 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1219474324-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1219474324-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1219474324-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1219474324-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1219474324-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Infrastructure&nbsp;remains&nbsp;key to these ambitions. 5G standalone is increasingly recognised as the architectural base for advanced enterprise services.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capabilities such as network slicing, quality-of-service guarantees and ultra-low latency enable industrial automation, immersive&nbsp;applications&nbsp;and mission-critical communications.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI is also being introduced into the network itself. Operators are experimenting with AI in the RAN and core to improve performance and efficiency. However, AI introduces its own pressures. Under a base scenario, AI-driven traffic could increase operator energy consumption by around 25% by 2030. Energy management is therefore becoming a strategic consideration in AI deployment decisions. Optimising inference placement, managing edge workloads and reducing RAN energy intensity will feature prominently in telecom industry trends in 2026.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ai-moves-from-efficiency-to-revenue-nbsp\"><strong>AI moves from efficiency to revenue<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past few years, AI has steadily\u00a0established\u00a0itself as one of the show\u2019s centrepieces and as a defining theme across the industry. Customer care still accounts for almost half of AI deployments globally, reflecting the industry\u2019s early focus on low-risk automation. However, momentum is building elsewhere. In the second half of 2025, around 50% of new AI deployments in the US were launched with a revenue\u00a0objective. That pivot signals a broader shift likely to shape the discussions at MWC26. Operators are embedding AI into enterprise propositions, from GPU (graphics processing unit)-as-a-service to intelligent automation platforms hosted in their own infrastructure. The industry is moving from experimentation to monetisation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sovereign-ai-private-nbsp-cloud-nbsp-and-competitive-positioning-nbsp\"><strong>Sovereign AI, private&nbsp;cloud&nbsp;and competitive positioning<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sovereign AI is&nbsp;emerging&nbsp;as a differentiator within these MWC26 trends. Governments are tightening expectations around data localisation and control of critical digital infrastructure. In response, operators are accelerating&nbsp;private data&nbsp;centre deployments to host AI inference and enterprise workloads domestically. Half of telco AI deployments in&nbsp;private data&nbsp;centres are now live, reflecting rapid expansion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This positioning aligns strongly with Operator fundamentals: MNOs already run regulated national infrastructure and maintain deep, trusted relationships with governments and enterprises. While\u00a0hyperscalers\u00a0remain formidable competitors in AI infrastructure, making partnerships with\u00a0GPU\u00a0providers and model developers strategically necessary, deglobalisation is reshaping the competitive landscape in Operators&#8217; favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Governments are increasingly seeking trusted local technology partners to deliver sovereign, nationally achored digital and AI infrastructure, and in many markets outside the EU and North America, MNOs are uniquely positioned to fill that role &#8211; combining regulatory legitimacy, physical infrastructure, and national trust in a way global hyperscalers structually cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mwc26-from-ambition-to-execution-nbsp\"><strong>MWC26: From ambition to execution<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taken together, these trends illustrate an industry repositioning itself on multiple fronts within the digital economy. The assets are significant: spectrum, nationwide networks, trusted identity frameworks and expanding edge compute capabilities. The shift toward revenue-focused AI deployments suggests commercial intent above all else.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:32% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"263\" height=\"192\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/MWC26.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14170 size-full\"\/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As MWC marks its twentieth year in Barcelona, its evolution from a 34,000-attendee handset congress in 2006 to a 100,000+ cross-sector technology ecosystem reflects the broader transformation of the mobile industry over the past two decades.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next twelve months will determine whether these identified trends convert into revenue, and MWC26 will offer an early&nbsp;indication&nbsp;of who is making that transition. Enterprise customers will look for tangible outcomes.&nbsp;Investors will look for revenue disclosure linked to AI services. Regulators will scrutinise security and sovereignty claims.&nbsp;Together, these pressures signal a sector entering a more commercially decisive phase.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The opportunities are clear, and the direction of travel is visible&nbsp;&#8211; we hope to see you there!<\/strong><br><br>Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwcbarcelona.com\/attend\/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=2026_branded_keywords&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23535759490&amp;gbraid=0AAAAABWXNX_sQVQPWrypZEZ-qAE-29bBz&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAkvDMBhBMEiwAnUA9BWAvI8uJgmcVDiHhl-lnM9nqAELNqyxwnNc5lP1A1rH0vtOizSzp8hoCpaUQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MWC26 Barcelona website<\/a> to find out more and to book your place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PCA03558-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"GSMA Pavilion at MWC25 Barcelona\" class=\"wp-image-11723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PCA03558-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PCA03558-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PCA03558-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PCA03558-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/PCA03558-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now in its&nbsp;twentieth year&nbsp;in Barcelona,&nbsp;MWC26&nbsp;arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty. Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy. The event is, on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":14166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[410,352,357,412,411,416,407,415,414,413],"algolia_discover_type":[],"class_list":["post-14140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-3gsm","tag-5g","tag-ai","tag-esim","tag-iot","tag-mwc26","tag-ntn","tag-open-gateway","tag-quantum","tag-security"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.4 (Yoast SEO v24.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year&#039;s event - GSMA Foundry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Now in its twentieth year\u00a0in Barcelona,\u00a0MWC26\u00a0arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty. Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year&#039;s event\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Now in its twentieth year\u00a0in Barcelona,\u00a0MWC26\u00a0arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty. Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"GSMA Foundry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-24T12:43:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-24T12:44:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona-1024x682.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"682\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"jwindel@gsma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@gsma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gsma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"jwindel@gsma.com\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year's event - GSMA Foundry","description":"Now in its twentieth year\u00a0in Barcelona,\u00a0MWC26\u00a0arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty. Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year's event","og_description":"Now in its twentieth year\u00a0in Barcelona,\u00a0MWC26\u00a0arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty. Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/","og_site_name":"GSMA Foundry","article_published_time":"2026-02-24T12:43:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-24T12:44:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":682,"url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona-1024x682.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"jwindel@gsma.com","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@gsma","twitter_site":"@gsma","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"jwindel@gsma.com","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/"},"author":{"name":"jwindel@gsma.com","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#\/schema\/person\/42fb00e8641479cd8c50ed84d46beb3a"},"headline":"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year&#8217;s event","datePublished":"2026-02-24T12:43:13+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-24T12:44:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/"},"wordCount":1554,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona.png","keywords":["3GSM","5G","AI","eSIM","IoT","MWC26","NTN","open gateway","quantum","security"],"articleSection":["General"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/","url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/","name":"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year's event - GSMA Foundry","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona.png","datePublished":"2026-02-24T12:43:13+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-24T12:44:07+00:00","description":"Now in its twentieth year\u00a0in Barcelona,\u00a0MWC26\u00a0arrives with a clear emphasis on commercial imperatives rather than technological novelty. Two decades after Barcelona became the permanent home of what was then the 3GSM World Congress, the event has evolved from a handset-led showcase into a global platform for cross-industry collaboration and digital infrastructure strategy.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona.png","width":1520,"height":1012},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/general\/mwc26-commercial-opportunities-driving-the-trends-at-this-years-event\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MWC26: Commercial opportunities driving the trends at this year&#8217;s event"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/","name":"GSMA Foundry","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#organization","name":"GSMA Foundry","url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GSMA-Logo-Red-RGB_square.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GSMA-Logo-Red-RGB_square.jpg","width":600,"height":600,"caption":"GSMA Foundry"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/gsma"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#\/schema\/person\/42fb00e8641479cd8c50ed84d46beb3a","name":"jwindel@gsma.com","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/01d1530a378f5c38d1cc314f9b7a60e97b954a275f76ecd68fca365d71566a03?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/01d1530a378f5c38d1cc314f9b7a60e97b954a275f76ecd68fca365d71566a03?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"jwindel@gsma.com"}}]}},"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Mobile-Tech-Trends-at-MWC26-Barcelona.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14140"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14179,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14140\/revisions\/14179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14140"},{"taxonomy":"algolia_discover_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/get-involved\/gsma-foundry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/algolia_discover_type?post=14140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}