Yang Chaobin of Huawei Calls for Enhanced Mobile Value Creation for Smarter World
At the Mobile World Congress 2026 held in Barcelona, Yang Chaobin, the CEO of Huawei’s ICT Business Group, made a significant call to action for the ICT industry. He urged stakeholders to accelerate efforts to ensure everyone benefits from artificial intelligence (AI) technologies without delay. With the rapid emergence of AI applications, he highlighted the necessity for enhanced spectrum capabilities and network capacity to enable the scaling of advanced 5G technology. This advancement is crucial for supporting emerging AI applications, while also addressing the widening digital divide in underserved regions.
In his address, Mr. Yang underscored the swift arrival of the intelligence era, stating that new AI applications are emerging daily. He called for a united effort in the industry to unlock the full potential of 5G-Advanced (5G-A). He emphasized the need to utilize new spectrum resources effectively, such as the U6 GHz band, to generate new value for the sector while paving the way for future sixth-generation (6G) technologies.
As AI applications, including text-to-video conversion and AI-assisted shopping, become more prevalent, Yang pointed out that the token consumption for these services has surged by 300 times in just two years. This dramatic increase highlights the substantial opportunities available for the mobile industry. However, Mr. Yang also noted critical gaps that need to be addressed. He called for networks to shift from a purely downstream-focused approach to providing ultra-high bandwidth for both upstream and downstream communication. This shift is essential for supporting multimodal data exchanges between devices and AI clouds.
Moreover, Yang stated that networks must ensure secure, reliable, and low-latency connectivity to facilitate real-time AI collaboration and intelligent decision-making. The standardization process for 6G is already underway, but its finalization is not expected until March 2029, as per the 3GPP.
He explained that the next five years present a unique opportunity for the growth of mobile AI services and the creation of new value by the industry, provided that operators make effective investments in 5G-A. This transitional period between 5G and 6G is already playing a crucial role, offering tenfold uplink speeds and improved AI service experiences, as well as new IoT technologies, such as reduced capability (RedCap) and passive IoT.
Currently, 5G-A has been deployed commercially across over 300 cities worldwide, spanning all frequency bands. However, to optimize performance, new spectral resources and reallocation are needed, especially in regions with limited C-band resources. The U6 GHz band is set to be pivotal in unlocking this network potential. After extensive discussions at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), the U6 GHz band has been established as a primary frequency for future mobile communications.
The 5G-A technology is already compatible with the U6 GHz band, with consumer device chips and the industrial supply chain having reached maturity. This readiness indicates that 5G-A is poised for extensive commercial use. Mr. Yang called on the attendees, primarily telecommunications professionals, to enhance collaboration on 5G-A and frequency bands like the U6 GHz to meet the escalating demand for AI services.
Yang's second key point during his speech addressed the urgent need for the industry to fix global digital access imbalances. According to GSMA, over 300 million individuals are still without broadband mobile networks. Despite two decades of efforts to bridge the digital divide, the rapid growth of AI risks exacerbating this issue. Therefore, it becomes crucial to strengthen digital inclusion initiatives and continue innovating.
He encouraged exploration of diverse frequency band combinations and cost-effective designs for solutions to enhance inclusive connectivity. Huawei has launched innovative solutions like RuralStar, aiming to provide mobile access to 170 million individuals across 80 countries. Further, initiatives such as DigiTruck classrooms in Kenya equip rural students with digital skills, while financial services are being made accessible to rural communities in Bangladesh, along with mobile health services for villages in Argentina.
In conclusion, Mr. Yang called upon all industry players to work collaboratively towards the mass deployment of commercial 5G-A to meet the pressing needs arising from emerging AI services and to lay the groundwork for the evolution towards 6G. MWC Barcelona 2026, taking place from March 2 to 5, will see Huawei presenting its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in hall 1 of the Fira Gran Via. The era of intelligent networks is rapidly approaching, with the wide-scale commercial adoption of 5G-A set to accelerate. Huawei is actively working with global operators and partners to fully leverage the potential of 5G-A while paving the way towards 6G. Additionally, the company is developing AI-centric network solutions to enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements, facilitating the large-scale deployment of Level 4 Autonomous Networks (AN L4) and leveraging AI to enhance core operations. Collaborating with other industry stakeholders, Huawei aims to create cutting-edge value-oriented networks and AI-based computing infrastructures to realize a fully intelligent future.
In his address, Mr. Yang underscored the swift arrival of the intelligence era, stating that new AI applications are emerging daily. He called for a united effort in the industry to unlock the full potential of 5G-Advanced (5G-A). He emphasized the need to utilize new spectrum resources effectively, such as the U6 GHz band, to generate new value for the sector while paving the way for future sixth-generation (6G) technologies.
As AI applications, including text-to-video conversion and AI-assisted shopping, become more prevalent, Yang pointed out that the token consumption for these services has surged by 300 times in just two years. This dramatic increase highlights the substantial opportunities available for the mobile industry. However, Mr. Yang also noted critical gaps that need to be addressed. He called for networks to shift from a purely downstream-focused approach to providing ultra-high bandwidth for both upstream and downstream communication. This shift is essential for supporting multimodal data exchanges between devices and AI clouds.
Moreover, Yang stated that networks must ensure secure, reliable, and low-latency connectivity to facilitate real-time AI collaboration and intelligent decision-making. The standardization process for 6G is already underway, but its finalization is not expected until March 2029, as per the 3GPP.
He explained that the next five years present a unique opportunity for the growth of mobile AI services and the creation of new value by the industry, provided that operators make effective investments in 5G-A. This transitional period between 5G and 6G is already playing a crucial role, offering tenfold uplink speeds and improved AI service experiences, as well as new IoT technologies, such as reduced capability (RedCap) and passive IoT.
Currently, 5G-A has been deployed commercially across over 300 cities worldwide, spanning all frequency bands. However, to optimize performance, new spectral resources and reallocation are needed, especially in regions with limited C-band resources. The U6 GHz band is set to be pivotal in unlocking this network potential. After extensive discussions at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), the U6 GHz band has been established as a primary frequency for future mobile communications.
The 5G-A technology is already compatible with the U6 GHz band, with consumer device chips and the industrial supply chain having reached maturity. This readiness indicates that 5G-A is poised for extensive commercial use. Mr. Yang called on the attendees, primarily telecommunications professionals, to enhance collaboration on 5G-A and frequency bands like the U6 GHz to meet the escalating demand for AI services.
Yang's second key point during his speech addressed the urgent need for the industry to fix global digital access imbalances. According to GSMA, over 300 million individuals are still without broadband mobile networks. Despite two decades of efforts to bridge the digital divide, the rapid growth of AI risks exacerbating this issue. Therefore, it becomes crucial to strengthen digital inclusion initiatives and continue innovating.
He encouraged exploration of diverse frequency band combinations and cost-effective designs for solutions to enhance inclusive connectivity. Huawei has launched innovative solutions like RuralStar, aiming to provide mobile access to 170 million individuals across 80 countries. Further, initiatives such as DigiTruck classrooms in Kenya equip rural students with digital skills, while financial services are being made accessible to rural communities in Bangladesh, along with mobile health services for villages in Argentina.
In conclusion, Mr. Yang called upon all industry players to work collaboratively towards the mass deployment of commercial 5G-A to meet the pressing needs arising from emerging AI services and to lay the groundwork for the evolution towards 6G. MWC Barcelona 2026, taking place from March 2 to 5, will see Huawei presenting its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in hall 1 of the Fira Gran Via. The era of intelligent networks is rapidly approaching, with the wide-scale commercial adoption of 5G-A set to accelerate. Huawei is actively working with global operators and partners to fully leverage the potential of 5G-A while paving the way towards 6G. Additionally, the company is developing AI-centric network solutions to enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements, facilitating the large-scale deployment of Level 4 Autonomous Networks (AN L4) and leveraging AI to enhance core operations. Collaborating with other industry stakeholders, Huawei aims to create cutting-edge value-oriented networks and AI-based computing infrastructures to realize a fully intelligent future.
Topics Telecommunications）
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