MWC: The leading global event for technology and connectivity
Everything is ready for the MWC to open on February 26, the most relevant fair in the world where companies present their latest technological innovations.
Until February 29, the city will receive teams from global technology, telephone, telecommunications, artificial intelligence and connectivity companies in the world. A luxury for Barcelona, which has been hosting this meeting since 2006 and which has become the strategic point to promote international collaboration in mobile wireless communications.
The event expects to welcome more than 100,000 industry professionals from 198 countries—almost all of the world’s countries—and will bring together more than 5,000 executive members and more than 3,800 journalists.
How to be informed of all the news of the MWC 2024 edition?
On the “events news” page you can find all the news that awaits you at this year’s MWC, don’t miss it!
What trends will you discover this year in Barcelona?
From the post published in the “events news” we summarize the most interesting things. First of all, the most relevant thing, they don’t tell you here or before. It will be presented on-site if you are lucky enough to be able to attend. The price of admission is quite prohibitive, about 879 euros, at least.
But they do offer us a preview of some tips on what to look for in terms of trends and news at MWC 2024:
- 5G Next: The Monetization Story. 5G has been the fastest growing mobile broadband technology, on a trajectory to account for half of all mobile connections by 2030. Monetizing 5G investments, however, remains a work in progress on both B2B and B2C fronts.
- 5G Next: the 5G-Advanced Story. With the completion of 3GPP Release 18 specifications mid-year, the arrival of 5G-Advanced solutions is imminent. Vendor messaging kicked off in earnest nearly two years ago, stoking interest in a technology which should serve as a bridge to 6G.
- FWA: 5G’s Breakout Use Case. If there’s been one shining success story for 5G Monetization, it’s been Fixed Wireless Access. Sure, it’s still a (largely) consumer proposition, but it is very much additive to mobile broadband services. And, as 5G pushes into new markets – including developing economies where fixed-line broadband infrastructure is lacking – we should see continued growth.
- Gen AI Revolution. If 2023 was the year in which Generative AI went mainstream, it was also a year in which most organizations – telcos included – just began to understand its potential. Building on a year (or so) of learning, 2024 should be a year where trials turn into real world Gen AI commercialization, hopefully solving operators two biggest concerns: RoI and tech maturity.
- Cloud vs. Edge. Yes, it’s a false dichotomy. The question is not one of “cloud OR edge” but rather how “cloud AND edge” can be integrated to best effect. As 5G evolutions drive cloud native architectures and 5G B2B aspirations require both edge and cloud assets in order to meet user demands, this “AND” will become increasingly important.
- The Future of Entertainment. From emerging metaverse use cases, to gaming and multi-play service packaging, operators and the mobile ecosystem have been helping to shape the entertainment landscape for years. How the democratization and widespread use of AI impacts this landscape will have wide ranging implications which should begin playing out this year.
- Private Wireless: Choose Your Own Adventure. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of operators offering or testing 5G private wireless solutions nearly doubled, setting up 2024 to be a year of expanding customer traction. And yet, talking about “private wireless” as a monolithic thing is misleading – networks come in diverse forms for diverse vertical demands, stoking a broad array of ecosystem players and complicated competitive dynamics.
- eSim: Acceleration and Simplification. Mid-2023, eSIM services had been launched by around 400 operators in 116 countries, an impressive increase portending further market momentum. And yet, that means the vast majority of operators have yet to launch. While consumer acceleration is expected from 2026 onwards, 2024 will be critical for setting that up.
- NTNs and the Satellite Inflection Point. While much of 2022/2023 was spent on trials new LEO constellations, 2024 will see a transition to commercial launches…fuelling answers to all the important questions: will consumer or enterprise applications dominate, will device support materialize, how will operators integrate satellite into their service offers?
- Sustainability and Circularity. Once upon a time, the discussion of sustainability for telcos was mostly about energy efficiency – driven into overdrive when energy price inflation took off. Circa 2024, the conversation has grown to include circularity, use of renewables and consumer sentiment, underscoring the breadth – and importance – of the topic.
Do you know the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation?
The Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation was created as a public-private alliance in 2006 to promote the digital development of society through the humanistic use of technology to build a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future.
It is important to know that the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation has an Observatory, a space for analysis and reflection that consolidates the production of strategic knowledge and is committed to developing periodic reports on the impact of digitalization in certain sectors of society and the economy.
After 12 years Mobile World Capital Barcelona has managed to consolidate itself as a driver of digital transformation, putting people at the center of the debate, and become a global reference in technology transfer, promotion of digital talent and guarantor of technology with impact.
We are waiting for you at Hotel Continental Barcelona and at Hotel Continental Palacete
One more year we will be delighted to welcome MWC attendees to our hotels. We put all our effort and love so that our guests feel comfortable with us. Nothing makes us happier than taking care of our clients and making their stay as pleasant and unforgettable as possible.
See you soon!
