MWC26 sets direction for future mobile

Huawei Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman Wang Tao also declared 2026 a critical inflection point for mobile communications. He outlined key propositions for the next decade.

First, mobile networks must expand from connecting people and things to connecting intelligence. In hotspot areas, the density of intelligent agents is expected to exceed 10 million per square kilometer — far surpassing population density in the future. Second, on AI-network integration, Huawei proposed a three-layer intelligent architecture with a two-phase rollout.

On spectrum, Wang stressed that operators need 200 to 400 megahertz of continuous wideband spectrum as the capacity layer to deliver 6G's promised fivefold downlink and tenfold uplink improvements with ultra-low latency and high reliability. For space-terrestrial integration, he outlined two models: telecom operators introducing satellites as supplements, or ground-led collaborative network construction.

As the GSMA's latest report underscores, China now accounts for over 40 percent of global 5G connections. But the story at MWC26 Shanghai was about what comes next. From humanoid robots playing football to AI models giving voice to the hearing-impaired, from drone fleets operating under unified regulatory platforms to connected vehicles evolving into software-defined intelligent platforms, the message was unmistakable: the industry is standing at the threshold where 5G gives way to 6G, and where the internet of things ascends to the internet of intelligence.

MWC26 Shanghai made one thing clear: the future of mobile is not just about faster networks — it is about intelligence that is ubiquitous, inclusive and deeply embedded in the physical world. And China, for better or worse, is leading the charge.

masi@chinadaily.com.cn