MWC26 sets direction for future mobile

China Mobile Chairman Chen Zhongyue opened his keynote speech with a poignant story: Zhang Xujia, a hearing-impaired individual, received an AI device using China Mobile's "one person, one model" accessibility technology — and for the first time, was able to hear his own voice making phone calls and ordering food like anyone else. "AI should not serve only a select few, nor stop at the general public — it must equally illuminate every life," Chen said.

He argued that the very meaning of "mobile" is evolving — from Mobile Communication (voice and messages) to Mobile Computing (bytes) to Mobile AI (tokens). The core task now is processing "intelligence flows" — knowledge-bearing, problem-solving streams — not just data flows. Telecom operators must break free from the pipeline role and upgrade to AI service platforms capable of millisecond-level semantic parsing, cloud inference and intelligent generation.

China Mobile is building an open intelligent service ecosystem and integrated intelligent infrastructure as twin growth flywheels. "We do not build walled gardens," Chen said. "We aim to be a cooperative, win-win service platform."

On the network side, the company is advancing 5G-A, terabit optical networks and space-air-ground integrated deployment, with 6G R&D anchored to industrial manufacturing and telemedicine scenarios. Self-evolving "autonomous networks" — self-configuring, self-optimizing and self-healing — are also taking shape.

Meanwhile, China Unicom said on the sidelines of MWC26 Shanghai that it has identified international expansion as a new growth engine and is working with global partners to enhance submarine cable systems, cross-border terrestrial fiber routes, and accelerate the buildout of a global data-intelligent network and satellite-based internet of things infrastructure.

The State-owned telecom giant laid out its vision at the UniCom Global Partners Meeting 2026.

Miao Shouye, deputy general manager of China Unicom, underscored the company's strategic shift from a "basic pipeline provider" to a "comprehensive digital service provider", focusing on the core areas of connectivity, computing power, services and security.

He called for four collaborative actions: co-building intelligent networks via shared submarine and cross-border cables, as well as edge nodes, to create an integrated space-air-ground-ocean network; co-developing a cross-border cloud-computing ecosystem with token-based product suites to tap new business opportunities; co-delivering smart services by embedding AI into industry scenarios to meet diverse client needs; and co-establishing a security framework that ensures safe cross-border data flows and joint anti-fraud efforts.