The launch of the world’s first commercial upper 6GHz (U6GHz) network and ecosystem was announced at the SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit 2026, marking the UAE’s leadership on the U6GHz front, led by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison CEO Vikram Sinha highlighted how the Indonesian operator is transforming itself from a traditional telecoms provider into an AI-driven technology company.

Connectivity has long been praised for linking remote communities to the global economy, lifting populations out of poverty and revitalising once-isolated regions.

As digital transformation deepens, enterprise networks are no longer just connectivity tools; they have become the digital foundation that supports full-service operations, internal and external collaboration, and core data flows.

The World Broadband Association (WBBA) brought together leading global operators, enterprises and technology vendors for its Broadband Development Congress (BDC) during MWC26 in Barcelona, and announced the release of the Net5.5G Readiness Assessment and Certification whitepaper. The white paper sets out a standardized framework for intelligent network evolution for operators and enterprises worldwide.

Orange Middle East & Africa and Huawei are addressing one of the biggest challenges in African telecoms – delivering reliable connectivity in remote areas – through the deployment of AI-enabled solar-powered base stations.

Huawei has urged telecom operators to embed artificial intelligence across networks and services as the industry moves beyond the mobile internet era into what it describes as the “Internet of Agents”.

At MWC Barcelona 2026 in Barcelona, Huawei’s President of the Data Communication Product Line, Leon Wang, set out a clear message to global carriers - traditional connectivity alone will not deliver the next wave of growth.

One theme cropped up again and again at MWC26: telecom operators are under pressure to redefine their role in the AI economy. For Huawei, the answer lies in what it calls the “agentic era” - a world where AI agents increasingly handle digital tasks on behalf of people and businesses.

At the Intelligent Operations Summit held during MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei put forward its vision for how operators can leverage their unique advantages to grow in the era of rapid AI development.

On March 1, 2026, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona 2026, Stephen Shao (Vice President of Huawei's General Development Dept) and James Crawshaw (Omdia Analyst) had an in-depth discussion on the latest trends in autonomous networks (AN) L4 and AI domain.

During MWC26 Barcelona Developing Telecoms’ Director of Content James Barton sat down with Majda Lahlou Kassi, Vice President and Head of Ericsson West and Southern Africa, to discuss Ericsson’s current strategy and focus areas in Africa and the potential impact AI may have on telecom networks and services across the region in the future.

Agentic MBB will enable operators to unlock end-to-end network value by building service-oriented, system-level intelligence.

At MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei unveiled an all-new Cloud Wi-Fi Solution for the global carrier market. The future-ready solution is designed to address escalating security challenges as industries worldwide enter a critical stage of digital and intelligent transformation. By delivering end-to-end network security for enterprises, it meets the surging demand for robust security and helps carriers explore the blue ocean of the B2B sector.

As AI workloads reshape enterprise infrastructure, data centre networks are under increasing pressure to deliver higher performance, resilience and automation.

Huawei Optical Business Product Line, unveiled a range of new next generation optical networking products and solutions during MWC26 Barcelona.

At MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei unveiled its upgraded Xinghe Intelligent WAN Solution. This solution provides a stable network foundation via upgraded intelligent identification, secure encryption, reliable convergence, and intelligent O&M to address digital transformation challenges facing the ISP, government, electric power, and transportation industries.

At this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC 2026), Huawei unveiled and demonstrated its single-wavelength 2T ultra-high-speed metro solution in the optical transmission domain. Covering both terrestrial and submarine cable scenarios, this solution reduces per-bit network construction costs to enable global operators to deliver ultra-broadband, highly reliable, and agile communication services.

Ubiquitous mobile broadband coverage mandated by the universal service obligation is boosting digital inclusion around the world and accelerating progress towards the UN’s sustainable development goals for 2030.

ZTE Corporation, a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, announced the debut of its groundbreaking Linkpro plus Wi-Fi 8 home networking solution at MWC Barcelona 2026.

nubia unveiled its nubia Neo 5 series at MWC Barcelona 2026, led by nubia Neo 5 GT - the only device in its class featuring a built-in fan and a completely flat design, alongside the more accessible nubia Neo 5 and nubia Neo 5 Max boasting a 7.5-inch large display.

During MWC 2026, a leading European consulting company, IDATE, held the Green All-optical Network Forum 2026. During the forum, IDATE presented four major awards to 17 world’s leading operators.

The intelligent era is developing rapidly, and digital boundaries are constantly expanding. We are at a historical moment where network security and intelligent technologies are converging, presenting unprecedented opportunities and challenges.

During the 4th Intelligent Operations Forum at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2026), Huawei officially launched AUTINOps, the industry’s first AI-Native intelligent operations solution.

ZTE Corporation, a global leading provider of integrated information and communication technology solutions, and Türk Telekom have jointly completed the world's first C+L (12 THz) full-band integrated 1.6Tbps live network trial in Istanbul.

During MWC 2026, the Autonomous Networks Summit themed “L4 is Booming” was held in Barcelona, Spain. Li Huidi, Executive Vice President of China Mobile, delivered a keynote speech titled “AN L4 Powering the IQ Era”.

ZTE Corporation will participate in MWC Barcelona 2026 from March 2 to 5 under the theme "Creating an Intelligent Future".

At MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei unveiled a full suite of U6GHz products and solutions designed to fully unleash the potential of 5G-A and enable a smooth evolution towards 6G. This suite provides the large capacity, low latency, and premium user experience required for the emerging mobile AI era.

In a world where connectivity is paramount, Turkcell continues to lead the charge in technological innovation with its latest groundbreaking solution: Wi-Fi Sensing, developed in collaboration with Huawei and powered by Channel State Information (CSI) technology.

Learn how AI-Native digital brands are helping operators grow and stay ahead of their competition.

Ericsson is widely recognized as a European telecom technology leader, but its legacy in Africa is equally profound. Since installing some of the first telephone exchanges in South Africa in 1896, Ericsson has played a pivotal role in building networks across every generation; from the earliest generations to today’s advanced 5G infrastructure. Now, Ericsson is at the forefront of Africa’s next connectivity wave, enabling operators to modernize networks, expand 5G coverage, and deliver inclusive digital services, all while reducing total cost of ownership and energy consumption.

According to the latest "Telecom Billing Market Radar - 2025" released by Omdia, a globally authoritative consulting firm, Huawei Convergent Billing System (CBS) has entered the "Leader" quadrant for the first time, driven by its outstanding capabilities in AI-powered intelligent operations, all-scenario convergence, ultra-high carrier-grade reliability, and open ecosystem enablement.

At the recent 19th edition of the Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, held under the theme ‘Tech Intelligence Beyond Mobility’ from 10-11 December 2025 in Dubai, UAE, a panel hosted by Telecom Review Group CMO Issam Eid and titled “Pioneering 5G-Advanced Experience Monetization in GCC” brought together leading voices from operators and ecosystem enablers across the region.