MWC 2026 Opens in Barcelona, Spotlighting the Theme 'The IQ Era'

Barcelona, ANTARA - The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 opened on Monday (2 Mar) in Barcelona, Spain, with the theme ‘The IQ Era’, focusing on smart infrastructure, connectivity and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), enterprise‑level AI applications, ecosystem AI collaboration, inclusive technology, and transformation driven by innovation. Marking 20 years of the event in Barcelona, this year’s MWC is attended by around 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors and partners. More than 1,200 speakers took part in the discussions. Meanwhile, national pavilions and technology-themed expo areas represent more than 100 countries and regions. Participants include global mobile network operators, device manufacturers, and technology companies. In the opening speech, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath said the mobile communications industry is entering a new development phase that requires joint efforts to deepen 5G deployment, address AI-related challenges, and strengthen digital security. He stated that networks, as essential infrastructure for the AI ecosystem, should play a larger role in deploying computing power and developing model capabilities. In the changing global digital landscape, Badrinath emphasised that global standards, scale, and innovation remain the foundations for sustainable industry growth. In his main keynote, the General Manager of China Telecom stated that the construction and utilisation of 5G infrastructure together provide valuable experience for large-scale global deployment. Looking ahead, standard innovation and the launch of 6G networks must fully account for the rapid development of AI while enhancing AI governance systems. Badrinath also noted that although AI offers broad opportunities, it also brings new responsibilities. Of the approximately 7,000 languages used worldwide, mainstream AI models are trained using only a small subset of them, which could widen the