Huawei's Li Peng Accelerates Transition to Agent Internet Era Using 5G-A and AI

The Future of Connectivity: Enhancing the Phase of the Agent Internet with 5G-A and AI

At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) held in Barcelona from March 2-5, 2026, Li Peng, Huawei's Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, revealed a groundbreaking vision for the telecommunications industry. His keynote presentation focused on the profound impact of 5G-A and artificial intelligence (AI) in redefining connectivity and transitioning towards the agent internet era.

Li emphasized the growing power of networks capable of connecting not just people, but also countless agents. He stated that, as carriers adopt 5G-A, the industry is poised to unlock new value propositions by focusing on connectivity that extends beyond simply transporting data. This shift towards '5G-A x AI' opens the door to monetizing a range of services and the experiences that accompany them, propelling the industry towards a staggering $10 trillion market opportunity.

A Paradigm Shift in Revenue Generation

The transition from 4G to 5G has marked a significant evolution in the mobile industry, where many operators are now starting to implement 5G-A technologies. According to Li, this advancement allows for sophisticated applications across various devices. He explained, "This year we are entering the agent internet era. The networks will not only connect individuals but also link hundreds of billions of agents."

The anticipated increase in agent applications over the next decade will heighten connectivity demands, thus allowing operators to pivot from merely delivering traffic to offering high-value services across new markets. Many operators have already begun launching packages aimed at monetizing the consumer experience, such as speed and latency enhancements, reflecting the evolved landscape of 5G service offerings.

Monetizing User Experience

As the capabilities of networks evolve, operators are urged to innovate their business models. More than 300 global operators have crafted new packages focused on traffic monetization since the commercial launch of 5G. The introduction of 5G Standalone (5G SA) and 5G-A networks provides opportunities for operators to expand their service offerings to better match user expectations. With dynamic resource planning, operators can transition from best-effort services to predictable outcome services, ultimately enhancing their brand reputation and consumer willingness to pay for premium services.

For instance, offering managed services where branded content is prioritized can bolster network performance at critical times, improving overall user perceptions of service quality.

Integrating AI into Telecom

Li emphasized the potential convergence of AI technologies with connectivity services as a growth avenue for consumer, residential, and enterprise services. AI applications can enrich traditional telephony services, tapping into the vast market of voice communication — currently serving 5.4 billion users globally. AI-driven features like speech recognition, translation, and intelligent assistants are gaining traction, particularly in regions such as China and South Korea.

Moreover, telecom operators are beginning to enhance their B2C services by integrating AI into phones that are designed to function as gateways to the agent internet. These innovations are set to revolutionize revenue generation strategies for telecom providers.

For the home sector, AI can transform broadband services to ultra-gigabit levels, ensuring essential applications like gaming and streaming operate at optimal speeds. Voice-activated network assistants can help users troubleshoot and improve Wi-Fi quality seamlessly.

In industrial contexts, the merging of 5G-A and AI stands to streamline core processes significantly and enhance production efficiency. Adaptive factories endowed with AI capabilities can swiftly respond to market demands, plan production cycles almost instantaneously, and bring new products to market within hours.

Recommendations for Operators

As the horizon of opportunities expands, Li provided critical advice for operators to capitalize on their positions in the market. Firstly, it is essential for operators to upgrade services, devices, and frequency bands to align with 5G-A standards to cultivate a robust network ecosystem. Secondly, integrating AI into their operations across business, operational, and management domains will establish a solid foundation for diversified service offerings. Lastly, operators must embed AI into their infrastructure to support network architecture evolution.

Li concluded by affirming Huawei's commitment to collaborating with operators to evolve into AI service providers, optimizing potentials available through 5G-A and AI. He expressed confidence that together, industry players could foster a landscape rich in new opportunities, laying down the groundwork for future networks. Huawei is poised to showcase innovative products and solutions at MWC Barcelona 2026, highlighting the company’s readiness to help transform the telecom industry through smart network solutions.

With the commercial roll-out of 5G-A gaining momentum, Huawei actively partners with global operators to realize the full potential of 5G-A and pave the way forward into the 6G era. For further information, visit Huawei at MWC 2026.