GSMA MWC26 Shanghai Wraps Up as the AI Economy and 6G Innovation Delight Attendees from Around the World

26 June 2026, Shanghai – MWC26 Shanghai has concluded with 37,300 attendees for three days of conference and exhibition focused on the AI economy, 6G innovation and more. International attendance at MWC Shanghai increased 33% year over year, with onsite attendees representing 143 countries and territories. 

This year’s keynotes, summits and exhibition floor were dominated by connectivity-enabled innovation: from AI to 6G, robotics and satellite networks. Attendees were given a front-row view of the technologies reshaping China, Asia and the global mobile industry as it continues to deploy AI use-cases and steps into the AI token economy.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., said: “MWC26 Shanghai has confirmed to me that our industry is undergoing a fundamental shift. 5G and 5G-Advanced are the foundational layer of the AI stack. They provide the capacity, latency, and reliability that increasingly demanding systems and services depend on. This week we’ve seen how it’s fuelling new ideas across industry verticals, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and the low altitude economy. Thank you to everyone that joined us. It’s been a phenomenal week of collaboration with key players from around the world and a dynamic showcase of real-world innovation.”

End-to-end AI use cases included cutting-edge, experiential showcases, such as the Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge that featured AI-powered music, voiceover commentary and perimeter board advertising. Learn more about the Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge here and watch the action replay. 

In more AI experiences, the Pudong Government proved it was possible for a drone, boat, vehicle and humanoid robot to deliver a package without human intervention in its unmanned systems demo. 

Across keynote and conference stages, nearly 300 leading speakers tackled the most pressing topics facing the global mobile industry today, including the role of AI in accelerating enterprise transformation, the commercialisation of 5G-Advanced, the convergence of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, and the rise of embodied AI and humanoid robotics.

MWC26 also saw the inaugural GLOMO Awards Asia, celebrating excellence across mobile technology, services and solutions. On Friday, Lenovo was crowned Best in Show – Exhibition Stand, and the vivo X Fold6 was named Best in Show – Product. See the full list of winners here.

Sihan Bo Chen, Head of Greater China at the GSMA, said: “China’s mobile industry has always moved fast, but this week showed us that in the AI era the industry’s speed is now being felt at both a regional and global scale. There’s no better place to show the world what China and Asia’s mobile industry is capable of, and this year’s MWC proved that across every keynote, summit, and showcase. Congratulations to the winners of the Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge. And, thank you to all our attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and partners for joining us. See you at MWC27 Shanghai!”

MWC26 Shanghai in numbers:

• 37,300 attendees from 143 countries and territories, marking a 33% increase year over year. 
• 35% of attendees at director level and above, of which 36% are from the C-suite. 
• 33% of attendees represented industries beyond mobile.
• 400+ exhibitors, sponsors and partners.
• ~300 speakers and thought leaders. Across MWC conferences and summits, 40% were international speakers, 40% from sectors outside the core mobile ecosystem, 40% C-Level.
• 39 delegations representing 35 countries and territories across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa, and 4 intergovernmental organisations participated in the GSMA Policy Leaders Forum.
• ~700 international media outlets and industry analysts covering the event.
• ~1 million views of the keynotes and Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge across the MWC Shanghai website, socials and media partners’ platforms

The next events on this year’s MWC and M360 series calendar are M360 ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur on 9-10 September 2026 and MWC26 Doha in Qatar on 8-10 November 2026. 

Catch up on all event news and download photography and b-roll video at the MWC26 Shanghai Press Zone.
 

-ENDS-

About GSMA 

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. We invite you to find out more at gsma.com

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