The GSMA Ministerial Programme returns to MWC Barcelona (2–4 March 2026), marking 20 years as the world’s leading platform for digital policy dialogue. As technology advances at a pace and geopolitical dynamics shift, this year’s Programme will focus on the global tech race, cohesive digital governance, and trust as the foundation of digital progress.
Across two dedicated stages and three days of high-level discussion, ministers, regulators and industry leaders will explore four core themes: digital leadership, smart regulation, resilience and trust, and next-generation technologies. Here is what to expect from the agenda.
Digital leadership
In a world defined by heightened geopolitical competition and rapid change, connectivity has become a strategic asset. The opening session of the Ministerial Programme will bring together senior leaders from government, industry and multilateral organisations to reflect on how global digital policy cooperation and stronger public-private partnerships can drive prosperity, resilience and inclusive growth.
As digital sovereignty rises to the top of national agendas, a critical question emerges: can autonomy coexist with openness? Speakers will explore how governments can assert strategic leadership while preserving scale, interoperability and innovation-friendly digital ecosystems.
Between 2025 and 2030, job creation and destruction linked to structural labour-market transformation could affect 22% of today’s total jobs. As demand for digital skills accelerates, how can education systems, training programmes and labour policies adapt? Governments, industry and academia will explore how to build sustainable talent pipelines, strengthen economic resilience and close the tech skills gap.
Smart regulation
With massive investment required for next-generation connectivity, policymakers are reassessing whether existing regulatory models remain fit for purpose. One session will examine whether current competition frameworks are supporting, or holding back, digital competitiveness, and what a truly pro-investment, pro-competition regulatory environment should look like today.
Attention will turn to the EU’s Digital Networks Act (DNA). Framed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, the DNA aims to simplify regulation, accelerate investment and enable the deployment of next-generation networks. EU policymakers and industry leaders will assess whether the proposal delivers the scale, cohesion and regulatory clarity needed to close Europe’s investment gap, foster innovation and restore global digital leadership.
The agenda will also address the rapid emergence of direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity. While D2D promises to extend coverage to underserved areas, its success depends on a carefully designed policy. This session will explore how to develop harmonised, forward-looking frameworks that enable innovation while safeguarding terrestrial networks.
Resilience and trust
Trust in the digital ecosystem is under strain. According to GASA’s Global State of Scams 2025 report, an estimated US$442 billion has been lost to scams worldwide in the past year alone. The United Against Scams session will examine multistakeholder approaches to tackling online fraud, highlighting the mobile sector’s commitments and the role of governments and wider ecosystem players in protecting consumers.
The resilience of digital infrastructure is also being tested. From cyberattacks to climate-related disruptions, risks to critical systems are growing — yet responsibilities for protection remain fragmented. Discussions will explore the evolving threat landscape, the rising cost of cybersecurity, and how policy and partnerships must evolve to safeguard essential digital lifelines for citizens and businesses.
With increasing calls for platforms and networks to be held accountable for online harms, policymakers are redefining the boundaries of safety, privacy and responsibility. Discussions will focus on how to design adaptable, rights-respecting regulation that keeps pace with evolving risks without undermining openness or global interoperability.
Next-generation tech
As AI reshapes economies and societies, the Programme will explore what it takes to achieve global AI readiness. This session will examine how governments and industry can create the enabling conditions for AI adoption — from infrastructure and skills to investment and governance — ensuring benefits are shared across regions.
Attention will also turn to spectrum requirements for 6G. With countries already developing spectrum roadmaps for the 2030s, policymakers will discuss how much spectrum will be needed to support AI-native networks and new applications such as XR, sensing and holographic communications.
The Programme will also look beyond today’s “smart” technologies. From quantum computing and robotics to synthetic biology and autonomous systems, innovation is accelerating faster than governance frameworks can adapt. This forward-looking session will explore how policymakers can prepare for the next wave of innovation.
Follow the debate
The GSMA Ministerial Programme is an invitation-only event at MWC Barcelona that brings together senior government and industry leaders from around the world. If you are not attending in person, follow the session highlights on LinkedIn using #MWC26MP.