The best of MWC Shanghai so far

Global leaders from China Mobile, Singtel, China Tower and the GSMA demonstrated how the convergence of AI and connectivity is redefining digital ecosystems. Including showcasing how GSMA Open Gateway and next-generation networks are enabling smarter cities, automated industries and seamless global collaboration.

Key outcomes 

The keynote had a significant ripple effect across the telecom and technology sectors, shaping both strategic priorities and operational models. 

• It helped accelerate open API adoption, creating a surge in API commercialisation – enabling operators to monetise network capabilities and offer new services.
• The advocacy for open ecosystems translated into concrete commitments for standardised API frameworks, as global operators and channel partners signed MoUs covering over 78% of global mobile connections.
• Analysts project the network API market to generate $300 billion in connectivity and edge computing revenue within 5–7 years, with China alone expected to grow API spend from $514M in 2024 to $2.8B by 2030.
• Industry forums following the keynote emphasised that programmable networks and AI orchestration will be essential for next-gen services, creating new monetisation models and operational efficiencies. 

Chinese telecom operators showed how they are transforming into technology companies. Industry leaders from ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo shared real-world examples of 5G Standalone integrated with AI and how its revolutionising sectors such as healthcare, autonomous driving and manufacturing.

Key outcomes: 

This keynote triggered formal strategies, pilot deployments and cross-sector partnerships, proving its direct impact on the industry and its verticals. 

• Released immediately after the keynote, the Carrier Techco Transformation White Paper outlined a “triple transition” (AI factories, GPU-as-a-Service and platform ecosystems). This document became a reference for operators globally, driving formalised strategies.
• Multiple operators announced plans to implement AI-powered Operations and Maintenance centres and Graphics Processing Unit resource scheduling for financial services, reducing transaction latency to milliseconds.
• Chinese operators positioned themselves as leaders in AI-native networks and 5G-A, influencing global strategies for Techco transformation.
• Broader research* confirms that smart manufacturing technologies (digital twins + edge AI) consistently yield 10–20% output increases and up to 35% cost reductions, validating the keynote’s emphasis on these solutions. 

* roboticsandautomationnews.com 

Thought leaders from YOFC, HONOR and Alibaba explored the evolution of AI technologies, focusing on generative and agentic AI and their role in mobile and network innovation. Discussions addressed the balance between on-device and cloud-based AI, and the implications of open versus closed ecosystems.  

Key outcomes 

This session drove measurable outcomes in AI investments, industry recognition and cross-sector collaboration across Asia’s mobile ecosystem. 

• It cemented China’s position as a leader in AI development and set new global benchmarks for agentic AI adoption.
• This and related summit sessions (including the Agentic AI Summit) at the event prompted operators and vendors to accelerate investments in AI-optimised hardware, edge computing and agentic AI platform strategies.
• Press and analyst coverage (such as Telecom Review Asia) confirmed that AI and 5G advancements showcased in this keynote have driven real investments in AI-first infrastructure, private AI networks and mobile AI foundations.
• Following the keynote, GSMA expanded its AI Ethics and Governance Working Group, inviting operators, vendors and academic institutions to co-develop AI governance frameworks.

Connectivity is no longer the product. It is the prerequisite of intelligence.​

As AI scales from models to societal systems, the defining question is not who builds the most powerful algorithms, but who enables intelligence to operate reliably, securely, and at national scale.​

Mobile operators are uniquely positioned to become the core architects of the AI era, integrating compute, connectivity, and control into a programmable foundation for society. In an age shaped by digital sovereignty and systemic complexity, they are evolving into sovereign infrastructure providers and architects of trust.​

This keynote brings together global telecom leaders to explore how operators can re-center themselves at the heart of the AI economy, enabling intelligence to scale responsibly and sustainably amid the accelerating waves of 6G and industrial transformation.

As the physical and digital worlds converge, infrastructure is undergoing a fundamental shift, from passive carrier to intelligent, autonomous system.​

The convergence of compute, network, and energy is redefining the foundation of the digital economy. In the intelligent era, compute becomes a utility, networks become programmable, and operations become autonomous. The challenge is no longer how to connect systems, but how to design architectures that can sense, decide, and adapt in real time.​

This keynote explores how AI-native architecture, autonomous infrastructure, and sustainable energy collaboration are forming the backbone of the intelligent world. As digital and physical systems merge, infrastructure itself becomes intelligent, adaptive, and continuously evolving.

AI is evolving from generative capabilities to real-world, autonomous intelligence. Multi-agent systems, vertical models, and real-time data integration are transforming how industries operate and how people live and work.

As AI moves from experimentation to deployment, it is becoming an operational engine across sectors by powering smarter decisions, more efficient systems, and more responsive services. Enabled by cloud–edge collaboration and mobile intelligence, AI can now act in real time, at scale, and closer to where data is generated.

This keynote explores how agentic AI is being applied across industries, how mobile AI unlock real-time autonomy, and how embodied intelligence will reshape physical environments and human experiences. The future of AI is not just generative. It is applied, mobile, and human-centered.

We are witnessing a new organizational paradigm: decisions driven by data, execution augmented by AI, and innovation co-created by humans and machines. The enterprise of the future will not simply use AI, but operate alongside it in more
intelligent and adaptive ways.

To enable this at scale, intelligence is extending beyond applications into infrastructure, networks, and devices. Built on this foundation, AI is reshaping how organizations operate end-to-end.

From supply chains to customer
engagement, enterprises are moving toward AI-native models, where AI, cloud, and next generation connectivity converge to drive growth and long-term competitive advantage.