{"id":46598,"date":"2026-05-08T11:16:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/?post_type=gsma_theme_resources&#038;p=46598"},"modified":"2026-06-10T11:56:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T10:56:34","slug":"the-future-of-5g-networks-is-about-intelligence-not-just-scale","status":"publish","type":"gsma_theme_resources","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/gsma_resources\/the-future-of-5g-networks-is-about-intelligence-not-just-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"The future of networks is about intelligence, not just scale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the MWC26 Barcelona <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwcbarcelona.com\/agenda\/sessions\/6185-5g-future-summit\">5G Future Summit<\/a>, the tone was markedly different from the launch-era enthusiasm that accompanied early 5G deployments. Debate about the future of 5G networks has become more pragmatic. The question is no longer whether 5G works, but whether it is working hard enough, architecturally, strategically and commercially, to justify the scale of investment and to prepare the ground for an AI-native future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">5G standalone (5G SA) is not the end point of a generational cycle, it\u2019s an inflection point. Ultimately, the future of 5G networks lies in programmability, AI-integration and ultimately being foundational to 6G.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-completing-5g-the-standalone-imperative\"><strong>Completing 5G: The standalone imperative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Henry Calvert, Head of Networks at GSMA, set the context bluntly. Nearly 400 operators worldwide have launched 5G, but only a small fraction have deployed standalone core networks. In his words, there is \u201c$127 billion that we could possibly be leaving on the table at the moment,\u201d referring to enterprise revenues from capabilities such as network slicing and network APIs that require a standalone core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The architectural shift from non-standalone to 5G SA is structural rather than incremental. The service-based architecture (SBA) of 5G standalone moves telecom networks closer to cloud-native software systems, exposing network functions as services rather than closed hardware stacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calvert described this as \u201ca fundamental transitional change in the service-based architecture\u2026 we\u2019ve almost gone to a cloud-native infrastructure to put software functions on top of it\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet the commercial payoff has lagged. 5G has largely been consumer-led. Enterprise monetisation, long seen as a major 5G opportunity, has yet to materialise at significant scale. This tension has driven GSMA\u2019s Open Gateway initiative, designed to expose network capabilities through standardised APIs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The underlying logic is simple: if enterprises can provision compute and storage in minutes from cloud providers, they should be able to consume network capabilities with the same immediacy. \u201cHow do we make networks programmable?\u201d Calvert asked. That question frames many of the issues of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-network-intelligence-as-a-product\"><strong>Network intelligence as a product<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_1550-1-900x600.jpg\" alt=\"Bald man in a blue suit speaks on stage at a conference, with a red GSMA lectern beside him.\" class=\"wp-image-46600 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_1550-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_1550-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_1550-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_1550-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_1550-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kunal Shukla, SVP and GM, Head of Network APIs at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vonage.co.uk\/\">Vonage<\/a>, sharpened the enterprise lens. Mobile operators, he argued, have invested enormous capital in 5G infrastructure, but the returns have yet to reflect the kind of innovation-led model seen in cloud and software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is an opportunity to monetise the existing networks and convert it from being a cost centre to a profit centre, from being infrastructure-driven to an innovation engine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The convergence of mobile-first enterprise strategies and AI workloads is creating a new demand pattern. Shukla noted that \u201c82% of CIOs are looking at mobile-first options\u201d, while AI inference increasingly shifts from centralised clouds to the edge.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The missing link for the future of 5G networks, in his view, is \u201cnetwork intelligence\u201d, and not from raw APIs, but from abstracted, outcome-driven services that hide telecom complexity from developers. Rather than exposing latency, jitter and throughput parameters directly, platforms should translate network conditions into business logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most immediate traction is in identity and fraud prevention. Authentication APIs, particularly phone number verification, are gaining real adoption. But Shukla was clear that this is only the first horizon. Differentiated connectivity, including quality-on-demand and dynamic slicing, is next. The emphasis should be on abstraction. \u201cIt\u2019s all about simplicity\u2026 scalability\u2026 adoption,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-quality-as-a-premium-service\"><strong>Quality as a premium service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Vonage focused on the developer ecosystem, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kddi.com\/english\/\">KDDI<\/a> offered an operator\u2019s blueprint for monetisation. Toshiyasu Wakayama, Senior Standardization Specialist at KDDI<strong>,<\/strong> positioned AI not as a feature, but as the core strategic driver of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KDDI\u2019s premium service, built on network slicing principles, prioritises connectivity for subscribers in congested environments. The proposition is clear: some users are willing to pay for a premium communications experience. This is more than marketing differentiation. It suggests there may be scope for more experience-led service tiers. Wakayama called communication quality a \u201csleeping giant\u201d that APIs and AI can awaken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crucially, KDDI\u2019s argument rests on standardisation. As a founding member of Open Gateway and CAMARA, it views global API harmonisation as a prerequisite for scale. Enterprise operates across borders; network capabilities must be interoperable to matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ai-changes-the-traffic-equation\"><strong>AI changes the traffic equation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile banner_right-img_container\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_2234-1-900x600.jpg\" alt=\"A speaker presents on AI mobiles at a tech summit, with slides displayed to an audience in a dark auditorium.\" class=\"wp-image-46601 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_2234-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_2234-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_2234-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_2234-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/EPN_2234-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside discussions of APIs and monetisation, a deeper technical theme surfaced: AI is reshaping network traffic itself. Mobile networks are moving from connecting people to connecting intelligence to the physical world. AI agents, wearables and autonomous systems are not passive consumers of downlink data. In fact, they generate, interpret and act in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This development has implications for radio design. Huang Yuhong, General Manager at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmiri.hk\/en\/\">China Mobile Research Institute<\/a> highlighted the dramatic rise in uplink demand in AI-driven scenarios, from smart glasses to embodied robotics. In some high-density events, uplink traffic already exceeds half of total load.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The historical bias toward downlink capacity, optimised for video streaming, is no longer sufficient. Deterministic latency, symmetrical performance and dynamic resource allocation are becoming critical in the future of 5G networks. And in that sense, 5G-Advanced is not just a marketing label. It is increasingly being positioned as a way to address the uplink, latency and flexibility demands of AI-driven use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6g-evolution-or-re-foundation\"><strong>6G: evolution or re-foundation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 5G Future Summit\u2019s final act addressed an uncomfortable question: if 5G-Advanced can evolve incrementally, why do we need 6G at all? The answer, emerging from some, is that AI-native design may require a more fundamental rethinking than incremental releases can provide. For example, Professor Rahim Tafazolli CBE, Director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surrey.ac.uk\/institute-communication-systems\/5g-6g-innovation-centre\">6G Innovation Centre at the University of&nbsp;Surrey<\/a>, argued that a new generation should only exist if it delivers capabilities that cannot be achieved through simple evolution. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), tightly fused with AI at the architectural level, is one such candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, John Smee, Senior Vice President, Engineering, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qualcomm.com\/\">Qualcomm<\/a> described 6G as a fresh-sheet opportunity to integrate communications, sensing and distributed AI from the outset, rather than layering them on retrospectively. At the same time, caution was evident. Manish Mangal, President and Head, Americas Communication Business at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techmahindra.com\/\">Tech Mahindra<\/a> warned that 6G must be business-architecture driven, not technology-driven. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have that, then the monetisation will be irrelevant,\u201d he argued, reflecting a broader lesson from the 5G era: spectral efficiency alone does not guarantee returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-future-of-5g-networks-strategic-tension\"><strong>Future of 5G networks: strategic tension<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two tensions surrounding the future of 5G networks defined the summit, with the first being between speed and structure. AI innovation cycles move in months; telecom standardisation moves in years. The industry must reconcile agile software practices with the reliability and global interoperability that mobile networks demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second is between evolution and reinvention. 5G standalone and 5G-Advanced still have untapped potential. Yet AI-native architectures, integrated sensing and programmable RAN stacks suggest that 6G may need to be more than a bandwidth upgrade. The GSMA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/mobile-ai-community\/\">Mobile AI Community<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/gsma-open-gateway\/\">Open Gateway<\/a> initiative represent attempts to bridge these tensions, aligning standards, APIs and monetisation models before the next generational leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-network-for-intelligence\"><strong>A network for intelligence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps the most resonant framing came from GSMA CTO Alex Sinclair: if AI becomes the brain of the digital economy, mobile networks become its nervous system. That metaphor captures an underlying trend: the future of 5G networks is not about faster smartphones. It is about building an intelligent, programmable substrate for machine interaction, real-time decision-making and distributed AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 5G Future Summit was not therefore a declaration of victory for 5G. Instead, it acknowledged unfinished business: complete standalone deployment, scale APIs, and embed AI at the core. The road to 6G has begun. But its credibility will depend on whether 5G can first deliver on its promise, not just technically, but commercially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>We&#8217;ll be continuing the conversation at MWC Shanghai during the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwcshanghai.com\/agenda\/sessions\/6364-future-networks-summit\">Future Networks Summit<\/a><\/strong> on <strong>Wednesday 24 June 2026<\/strong>. Join us for an insightful event with industry leaders. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-gsma-banner-img-bg-1-col banner_img-bg-1-col_block is-flattened\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover banner_img-bg-1-col_container gsma-load-hidden\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#7d6769\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-46427\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EPN_2566-scaled.jpg\" style=\"object-position:56% 36%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"56% 36%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EPN_2566-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EPN_2566-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/EPN_2566-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading banner_img-bg-1-col_title\" id=\"h-watch-the-5g-future-summit-on-demand\">Watch the 5G Future Summit On Demand <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"banner_img-bg-1-col_blurb wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button banner_img-bg-1-col_button-contained\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/gsma_resources\/mwc26-barcelona-5g-future-summit-on-demand\/\">Watch now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the MWC26 Barcelona 5G Future Summit, the tone was markedly different from the launch-era enthusiasm that accompanied early 5G deployments. Debate about the future of 5G networks has become more pragmatic. The question is no longer whether 5G works, but whether it is working hard enough, architecturally, strategically and commercially, to justify the scale [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":46609,"template":"","meta":{"image":null,"json":{"gsma_resources_type":"Other","gsma_resources_thumb":"null","gsma_resources_file":"null","gsma_resources_multi":null,"gsma_resources_wgr":null,"gsma_resources_video":"","gsma_resources_image":"null","gsma_resources_url":"","gsma_resources_date":"","gsma_resources_button":""}},"tags":[],"resource_categories":[8977,15384,15314,15472,15476,15459,15400,9667,15388,15389,15457,8975,15473],"algolia_discover_type":[15357,15361],"class_list":["post-46598","gsma_theme_resources","type-gsma_theme_resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_categories-5g","resource_categories-5g-standalone","resource_categories-5g-advanced","resource_categories-6g","resource_categories-6g-2","resource_categories-article","resource_categories-events","resource_categories-mwc-barcelona","resource_categories-network-capabilities","resource_categories-network-transformation","resource_categories-resource-type","resource_categories-resources","resource_categories-topic","algolia_discover_type-article","algolia_discover_type-resource"],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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explore standalone deployment, programmable networks and the growing role of AI in shaping 6G\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/gsma_resources\/the-future-of-5g-networks-is-about-intelligence-not-just-scale\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Networks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gsma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T10:56:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/News-website-post-616x450-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"616\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GSMA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Future of 5G Networks: What Lies Ahead - Networks","description":"At the 5G Future Summit, industry leaders explore standalone deployment, programmable networks and the growing role of AI in shaping 6G","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\/solutions-and-impact\/technologies\/networks\/gsma_resources\/the-future-of-5g-networks-is-about-intelligence-not-just-scale\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"The future of networks is about intelligence, not just scale","og_description":"At the 5G Future Summit, industry leaders explore standalone deployment, programmable networks and the growing role of AI in 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