Cutting-edge tech around every turn
By Chris Donkin
MWC25 Barcelona boasts eight halls packed to the rafters with exhibitors, side events and sights you won’t see anywhere else, but with so much to squeeze in around a comprehensive conference agenda choosing what to see can be tough.
Luckily, Insight is here to help with a guide of what to look out for while making your way through Fira Gran Via.
The MWC exhibition area is always crammed with cutting-edge technologies covering everything from the latest smartphones to deep network tech, via some eye-catching industrial machines and connected vehicles.
In terms of consumer devices expect to see the latest foldable, flexible and AI-toting smartphones from big name players including Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi (the latter of which has doubled the size of its stand this year). There’s also a strong presence from challenger players such as Realme.
Away from handsets, the latest extended reality headsets, smart glasses and other wearables are expected to grab plenty of attendee attention and no doubt feature in a deluge of content made for social media.
MAJOR PLAYERS
On the network side large vendors vie for attention with huge stands showcasing an array of technologies, with many featuring areas on how their innovations are being used by increasingly diverse customer bases.
Among them ZTE has significantly increased the size of its presence this year and Ericsson will have an area dedicated to Aduna, an API venture with several large mobile operators announced to much fanfare last year.
Huawei, Nokia and Samsung Networks are also expected to make a big splash with their latest kit.
Meanwhile big name tech companies continue their growth at the show with Google Cloud, for example, having a far bigger presence this time around.
ENTERPRISING DEVELOPMENTS
Pescatore highlighted 5G remains an area of focus even though 6G is “garnering increasing attention”.
For him, discussion areas will include how 5G standalone (SA) is performing and whether operators are making money even though margins are being squeezed.
Meanwhile, Talmesio, who cited the ongoing “telco-to-techco” debate as a further key area, thinks there will be some diversity in the traditional network discussion.
“While we are going to see 5G-Advanced and early discussions on 6G, the reality is that telecoms operators are a bit tired of Gs, and they want to talk about what is it that makes network performance. What is it that makes a network monetisable, but maybe not necessarily related to the next G”, he questioned.
Mann added he will be looking out for examples of network slicing implementation now that 5G SA is starting to become more prevalent. “We’ve been hearing about network slicing at MWC for a very long time. I think we are now at the stage where the industry can roll it out and can benefit from it.”
REGULATION, AND MORE BESIDES
Connected technology used by enterprises has been a mainstay of the MWC showfloor for several years but with ever increasing momentum around industrial IoT and private networks driven by 5G, this year’s edition is likely to be the biggest yet in this area.
Expect to see robotic limbs, humanoid robots, machinery for hard industry and inspiring demonstrations of the power of smart infrastructure.
A zone dedicated to connected industries can be found in Hall 4, where there are also dedicated sessions related to: manufacturing and production; fintech and mobile commerce; smart mobility; and sports and entertainment.
On the subject of sport, MWC25 sees the return of the Sports Tomorrow Congress hosted by Barca Innovation Hub, featuring discussion on the growing role of technology in that sector. It will be held on Monday and Tuesday (3-4 March).
Another popular side event is 4YFN, a showcase of innovative start-ups set to make an impact on tomorrow’s world. Along with regular sessions dedicated to pitching and funding it will present its annual awards on Wednesday at 5pm.
The wide-ranging MWC conference agenda covers a range of specific tracks, notably including the return of Diversity4Tech which focuses on the impact and need for diversity, equity and inclusiveness measures.
MWC25 itself is an inclusive event with the sizable exhibition floor, along with the rest of the event, fully accessible, being free of obstacles and designed with smart signage, audio navigation, automatic doors and lifts.
After seeing all of the highlights, refreshments are definitely in order and luckily there are a wide variety of food and drink outlets throughout the site, including popular relaxation area Beat Barcelona in Hall 8.1 where music, drinks and tapas are available.
A full rundown of the agenda and a guide to the showfloor is available in the MWC app, online and publicised around the venue.
