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Yang Chaobin's Vision at MWC Barcelona 2026

During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in Barcelona, Yang Chaobin, the CEO of Huawei's ICT Business Group, made a compelling case for the ICT industry to enhance its efforts in ensuring equitable access to AI technology. His keynote speech highlighted the need to harness advanced networking capabilities to bridge the digital divide, emphasizing the critical role of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) in supporting emerging AI applications.

Yang stated, "The age of intelligence is approaching rapidly. New AI applications are emerging daily, and it is time for our industry to unite and unlock the full potential of 5G-A. It is our duty to use the new spectrum resources efficiently, such as U6 GHz, to create new value while paving the way for the evolution toward 6G."

With the escalating adoption of AI applications like text-to-video conversion and AI-driven shopping, the demand for tokens has surged, skyrocketing 300 times in daily consumption over the past two years. Yang sees this as a massive opportunity for the mobile communications sector, though he also noted significant gaps that need addressing.

According to Yang, networks must transition from a downlink-centric approach to offer ultra-high bandwidth in both uplink and downlink situations, enabling multimodal data exchange between devices and the cloud for AI functionality. Additionally, networks need to ensure secure, reliable, and low-latency connectivity to facilitate real-time collaboration and intelligent decision-making with AI.

As standardization efforts for 6G progress, with principles not expected until March 2029 as per the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Yang believes that the next five years present a vital opportunity for both mobile AI service growth and for the industry to create added value through smart investments in 5G-A. This transition phase between 5G and 6G is crucial, providing tenfold uplink speeds, enhanced AI service experiences, new IoT technologies such as Reduced Capability (RedCap), passive IoT, and differentiated network capacity via AI.

Currently, 5G-A has been rolled out extensively in over 300 cities worldwide, with future expansions anticipated across all frequency bands. Yang underscored the immediate need for reallocated spectrum resources to optimize 5G-A, particularly in countries where C-band resources remain inadequate. The U6 GHz band has been earmarked as a critical frequency for unlocking this network potential, following multiple rounds of discussions at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC).

He urged the audience—telecommunications operators—to heighten their collaboration on 5G-A and embrace frequency bands such as U6 GHz to meet the rising demand for AI-based services. Yang also shed light on the urgent necessity to tackle global imbalances regarding digital access, noting that over 300 million people remain without coverage from broadband mobile networks. Despite significant advancements made over the last two decades toward bridging this digital divide, the rapid rise of AI capabilities appears to be widening it.

He called for more incentives toward digital inclusion and continued innovative solutions. Huawei has taken initiatives like launching the RuralStar solutions that aim for comprehensive mobile access, targeting to provide connectivity to 170 million individuals across 80 countries. Additionally, it has rolled out programs that include DigiTruck classrooms for digital skills training in rural Kenya, inclusive financial services for rural Bangladesh, and mobile healthcare services for Argentine villages.

In concluding his opening address, Yang invited all industry players to collaborate toward the widespread commercial adoption of 5G-A to address the urgent needs of emerging AI services, thus paving the way for the transition to 6G. The MWC Barcelona 2026 runs from March 2 to 5 in Barcelona, Spain, where Huawei will showcase its latest products and solutions at booth 1H50 in Pavilion 1.

The era of intelligent networks is upon us, and Huawei is actively partnering with global operators to leverage the full potential of 5G-A while laying groundwork for the evolution towards 6G. The company is also working on AI-driven network solutions designed to enable intelligent services, networks, and Network Elements (NE), accelerating the wide-scale implementation of Level 4 Autonomous Networks (AN L4) and using AI to enhance core business functionalities. In collaboration with industry peers, Huawei aims to build high-performance, value-oriented networks and AI-computing infrastructure for a fully intelligent future.

For more information, visit Huawei MWC 2026.