Syeda Shehrbano
The Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona was an unparalleled success with more than a hundred thousand attendees and close to three thousand exhibitors, sponsors and partners from 205 countries and territories. The event brought together stakeholders from the entire mobile ecosystem, connecting regulators, mobile operators, service providers, government stakeholders, representatives from ancillary sectors and the media.
The event provided a glimpse into the myriad new possibilities that open with AI and 5G, innovations across industries and the thought leaders making the future a reality. New figures from GSMA Intelligence showed 5G connections are expected to represent over half (51%) of mobile connections by 2029, rising to 56% by the end of the decade – making 5G the dominant connectivity technology. 5G has been the fastest mobile generation rollout to date, surpassing one billion connections by the end of 2022, rising to 1.6 billion connections at the end of 2023 and 5.5 billion by 2030.
During the MWC 2024, Huawei announced a series of ground-breaking intelligent solutions to advance digitalization in various industries in the Middle East and Central Asia. The company showcased its commitment to innovation and sustainability with a host of solutions designed to transform industries and enterprises worldwide. From manufacturing and electric power to education and beyond, Huawei’s new launches signify the start of a new era of intelligence, efficiency, and environmental consciousness, setting the stage for a brighter and smarter future.
The benefits of 5G are many and varied – 5G has been a catalyst for building intelligence at the network edge, and with the next phase of 5G Advanced underlining the need for end-to-end AI integration, future mobile generations will learn fast, self-orchestrate, and open new possibilities of how we can interact with our devices. The trajectory from 5G to the commercial rollout of 5.5G by Huawei is at pace with the rapid growth in demand, with technological advancements leading to positive business and societal outcomes.
With the number of connected IoT devices set to reach over 15 billion in two years, connecting everything requires network solutions that are open, seamless, sustainable, and secure. MWC explored the growing mobile ecosystem, covering subject areas from cloud hyperscaling and tower and fibre, to non-terrestrial networks and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
Generative AI (GenAI) continued to be a topic of keynote speeches and sessions as AI is poised to revolutionize how we work, live and interact. Huawei hosted the Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Summit during the trade show, launching 10 industrial digital and intelligent transformation solutions and a series of new flagship products. With a focus on providing differentiated solutions to meet diverse customer needs, Huawei aims to accelerate digital and intelligent transformation across industries and SMEs
The GSMA also announced the winners of the 29th annual Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards during a ceremony hosted at the MWC. Six new categories were created especially this year in keeping with the rapid advancements in scope and scale of the industry: Best AI Innovation; Best Mobile Innovation for Enhancing the Lives of Children and Young People; Best Non-terrestrial Network Solution; Best Private Network Solution; the GSMA Foundry Innovation Award; and the Open Gateway Challenge.
The GLOMO Awards represent the connectivity industry’s most prestigious accolade, honouring the companies, individuals and governments driving innovation and positive change in the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries. With 30 awards available across six categories, the winners are chosen by a panel of over 220 independent judges representing the industry’s most prominent subject matter experts.
Huawei won 6 of the 30 Awards, including the Best Mobile Innovation for Emerging Markets which went to Huawei and Ufone for a Microwave SuperHub Solution. The spectrum congestion remover is a game changer for operators.