Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2024 concluded after four days of discussion and networking, hosting industry leaders and attendees from across the mobile ecosystem. The world’s largest and most influential annual connectivity event hosts a unique combination of exhibitions and conferences, serving as the largest gathering of policymakers who enable the digital economy. This year, over 101,000 unique in-person attendees from 205 countries and territories were present at the event.
The 2024 edition’s theme was “Future First”, which stands for a future full of possibilities that can only be realised through active collaboration, addressing societal issues and emphasising the development and utilisation of technology in a responsible way. The exhibition also witnessed over 2,700 exhibitors, sponsors and partners, highlighting the message that the future of connectivity lies in a continuous collective effort. Further, MWC Barcelona has been certified as carbon neutral for 10 years. The distribution of the complimentary public transport pass given to all MWC attendees increased by 42 per cent this year compared to the previous year.
A look at the key highlights from MWC 2024…
Key themes
MWC Barcelona 2024 was centred around six key themes:
5G and beyond
5G has been a catalyst for building intelligence at the network edge, and with the next phase of 5G Advanced underlining the need for end-to-end artificial intelligence (AI) integration, future mobile generations will rapidly learn, self-orchestrate and unlock new possibilities for how we interact with our devices. Under this theme, the event witnessed discussions around internet of things (IoT) advancements, 6G, transformation of industries, smart cities and networked infrastructure, as well as the manner in which these key technological advancements can change the future of economies worldwide.
Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that 5G connections are expected to represent over half (51 per cent) of mobile connections by 2029, rising to 56 per cent by the end of the decade – making 5G the dominant connectivity technology. 5G has been the fastest mobile generation roll-out to date, surpassing one billion connections by the end of 2022, rising to 1.6 billion connections at the end of 2023 and projected to reach 5.5 billion by 2030.
Connecting everything
The industry is truly connecting everyone, but with the number of connected IoT devices set to reach over 15 billion in two years, connecting everything requires network solutions that are open, seamless, sustainable and secure. In this regard, the event witnessed thought leadership and expertise, covering subjects from cloud hyperscaling, tower and fibre to non-terrestrial networks and fixed wireless access, focusing on how the mobile ecosystem can collectively build more adaptable, automated, and cost-efficient networks.
Humanising AI
The impact of generative AI (GenAI) continues to create headlines but within a fast-evolving tech landscape, it is important to maintain a practical view. Under this theme, the discussions focused on understanding how AI can optimise network and cloud transformation processes while enhancing customer experiences. Through the discussions, the transformative potential of AI in automating repetitive tasks becameevident but stakeholders also stated that as AI continues to evolve, exploring its potential for personalising and enriching human interactions in the digital realm is crucial.
Manufacturing DX
While 5G provides benefits to all economic sectors of the global economy, manufacturing, driven by applications such as smart factories and warehouses, stands to gain the most due to its suitability for private wireless networks and data-led solutions. In this regard, robotic manufacturing, sustainable technology and connected vehicles are shaping the manufacturing landscape. These technologies are broadening the competitive landscape, providing sustainable solutions that increase factory efficiency, improve production performance and decrease costs. During the event, speakers highlighted how connectivity is evolving into an absolute necessity for growth, enabling businesses to maintain competitiveness and stay relevant.
Game changers
Under this theme, the event explored the rise of technologies that have the potential to fundamentally change industry dynamics. AI remained the driving force behind innovation in the mobile communications industry.
Our digital DNA
Across the telecom ecosystem, sustainability, diversity and attracting new talent have extended beyond corporate social responsibility to become core strategic priorities. The scale and scope of technological evolution imply that attracting and retaining talent is expected to grow twice as fast in the next ten years. Under the theme, the event explored the emerging digital future and its role in driving change by making societal change part of the industry’s digital DNA. The key takeaway was that technological advancement cannot exist in a vacuum and to succeed in building a sustainable and equitable future, the industry must actively promote diversity and inclusion.
Other developments and partnerships
AI emerges as the talk of the town for telcos
For telecom operators, AI and GenAI emerged as the most talked about themes throughout the event. GenAI includes products such as network equipment that mobile network operators could use to better manage their business and customer experience. These products improve call centre operations through agent-assisted AI/intelligent chatbots that allow agents to access more information to better serve customers.
Within Gen AI, experts stated that customer service is probably the largest business opportunity for telcos. During the next two years, industry experts believe that advanced companies will be able to save 70 per cent of the cost associated with customer service, with two elements having the most impact: pure automation, which involves solving customer problems in a digital environment without any human interaction, and augmenting the human workforce, which entails providing workers with tools and technologies to make them better agents, save time and resolve issues faster.
Partnerships and alliances formed
In a strategic move to boost the telecommunications landscape, the Global Satellite Operators Association and GSMA announced an important cooperation to foster innovation and promote the seamless integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. By combining the expertise and resources of both associations, the collaboration aims to explore new frontiers in technology and leverage synergies between mobile and satellite technologies. The joint activities will focus on innovative technologies and applications that leverage the strengths of both satellite and mobile networks, such as 5G integration, IoT connectivity, remote sensing and global coverage solutions, unlocking new opportunities for consumers and enterprises.
Further, a new alliance focused on cutting-edge research and development to unleash the power of AI to transform radio access network (RAN) for 5G and upcoming 6G technologies was launched. The AI-RAN Alliance is a new collaborative initiative aimed at integrating AI into cellular technology to further advance RAN technology and mobile networks. Bringing together technology, industry and academic institutions, the alliance’s founding members include Amazon Web Services, Arm, DeepSig Inc., Ericsson, Microsoft Corporation, Nokia, Northeastern University, Nvidia, Samsung Electronics, SoftBank Group Corporation and T-Mobile US, Inc.
Moreover, members of the Global Telco AI Alliance unveiled a plan to launch a joint venture later in 2024, which will focus on developing large language models specifically for telecommunications companies. The new venture will develop AI models optimised for the common languages used in the operators’ respective home markets.
Another notable development was GSMA’s launch of a network equipment commerce platform called GSMA Equipment Marketplace in partnership with solutions provider Shields Environmental Group Limited to help the telecom industry achieve its financial and environmental sustainability goals. The cloud-based global platform will help telecommunication providers around the world reuse, redeploy and recycle their network assets, while helping them achieve their net zero environmental targets and ensure financial sustainability. By making the service available to its membership base of more than 1,000 mobile operators and equipment manufacturers around the world, GSMA hopes that the service can transform the way networks – fixed, mobile or private – are procured and decommissioned. In turn, this will support the industry in its ambitions to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the extraction of environmentally damaging raw materials used in the production of telecom equipment.
