MWC26 sets direction for future mobile

As the world's gaze focused on the FIFA World Cup 2026, an electrifying spectacle of skill unfolded at an exhibition hall in Shanghai: humanoid robots stepping up to the penalty spot, striking balls with precision and celebrating goals in front of roaring crowds.

The humanoid robot football penalties challenge, a centerpiece of the newly launched mobile artificial intelligence innovation pioneer zone at the 2026 Mobile World Congress Shanghai, also known as MWC26 Shanghai, a three-day event which ran through Friday, featured eight teams including Unitree Robotics, Linkerbot and China Mobile (Hangzhou). No remote controls, no preset scripts — each robot independently completed the entire process, from ball recognition and positioning to angle calculation, force control and shooting, all within milliseconds. It was, in every sense, a hardcore validation of embodied intelligence's perception-decision-motion control loop.

This was just one part of the exhibition that has firmly established itself as the global stage where AI meets the physical world. Vivek Badrinath, director-general of GSMA, an industry group representing the world's largest mobile phone operators, identified humanoid robotics, the low-altitude economy and autonomous driving as the three most exciting frontier tracks in Asia's mobile ecosystem.

Badrinath said not long ago, the core mission revolved around connecting people and devices. That remains important, but it is no longer the whole story. Telecom operators are now strategic digital partners working across industries to drive robotics, drones, connected vehicles and AI solutions deep into every sector of the economy.

Zhong Zhihong, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, laid out China's strategic direction for information and communication development: building robust next-generation infrastructure, strengthening technological innovation, deepening digital-industry integration, and pursuing open, win-win global cooperation.

On the technology front, Zhong called for accelerating 6G core research and development and standardization while cultivating application ecosystems across AI, quantum technology and embodied intelligence.

Crucially, she urged the global community to uphold unified 6G standards and build broad consensus on AI governance.