- MWC Shanghai 2026 was dominated by AI, with vendors and operators positioning it as a new layer of telecom infrastructure rather than only a tool for network efficiency.
- Telcos are trying to define their role in the AI economy, linking networks, edge devices, APIs and enterprise services to avoid becoming only the transport pipeline for AI services.
- AI monetisation became more concrete, with telcos shifting from revenue for data to monetising tokens as a new revenue model.
- Broadband and Wi-Fi are critical to the AI experience, as more AI-enabled devices and services will depend on reliable in-home connectivity, uplink performance and low-latency Wi-Fi.
MWC Shanghai 2026, which drew more than 37,000 attendees, put three key themes into focus. AI dominated the show floor and was positioned as a core part of the telecom stack, continuing a trend seen at MWC Barcelona 2026. The big difference from MWC Barcelona earlier in the year was the increased conversation around token monetisation, and how it is giving telcos a commercial model for AI. Finally, AI features continued to expand into devices and homes, with telcos taking ownership of the customer experience. The key story across the show was around the role of connectivity in enabling the AI future.
