Attending Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona was an exhilarating experience, marking a significant evolution from years past.
MWC 2025: Converging Tech, Connecting Minds, Creating Future
Reflecting on my previous visit to MWC 2024, where the theme “Future First” emphasized collaboration and unity, this year’s event demonstrated tangible progress in those areas. This year’s theme, “Converge. Connect. Create,” aptly captured the event’s essence as a global nexus of social policy, business leadership, and digital innovation. The conference showcased groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), 5G technology, and mobile innovations, reflecting the rapid pace of technological progress.
The increased integration of AI and the advancement of 5G technologies showcased at MWC 2025 highlight the industry’s commitment to transforming visionary concepts into reality. The event not only displayed technological innovations but also fostered discussions on responsible AI development, emphasizing ethical considerations in deploying these powerful tools.
The Future of 5G: Expanding Networks, Driving Growth
The evolution of 5G (NOT 6G) technology was another prominent theme, with discussions centered on the next phase of 5G rollouts, including Release 17 and beyond. These advancements aim to create more versatile, reliable, and ubiquitous networks, supporting a broader range of applications across various industries. The GSMA’s annual Mobile Economy Report highlighted that mobile technologies and services generated 5.8% of global GDP in 2024, equivalent to $6.5 trillion, with projections to reach nearly $11 trillion by 2030, underscoring the economic significance of mobile advancements.
The Shift from VMware: Open Platforms Gain Momentum
Strong undertones of organizations looking for alternative virtualization platforms to house VNFs, CNFs and IT Cloud based applications and virtual machines remain VERY strong. VMware refugees are actively looking for new homes that are scalable, flexible and create non-vendor lock-in scenarios. From an Open Infrastructure perspective: Red Hat, Wind River, Canonical and SUSE are the major benefactors of this migration and movement. As a byproduct of this need, a desire to leverage Kubernetes, KubeVirt and/or OpenStack as a platform continue to gain momentum. At the show, Trilio announced Red Hat based certification for data protection of Red Hat OpenStack Services on OpenShift (announcement here).
Future Tech: Solar Laptops & Foldable Phones Shine
Innovative product concepts captured attendees’ imaginations. Lenovo’s Yoga Solar PC, a solar-powered laptop capable of recharging from ambient and natural light, represents a leap toward sustainable technology solutions. Thin phones were everywhere! Huawei’s unveiling of the triple-folding phone, showcases the possibilities of flexible display technology, pushing the boundaries of mobile device design.
ZTE & Red Hat Unite for 5G Innovation
Partnerships continued to flourish with the desire to drive innovation: ZTE Corporation and Red Hat publicly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Joint Innovation Lab aimed at advancing AI-powered automation and open-source innovation for next-generation 5G core networks. This collaboration combines ZTE’s expertise in carrier-grade infrastructure, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), and 5G core solutions with Red Hat’s leadership in open-source, AI, and cloud-native technologies. The partnership seeks to deliver open, secure, and scalable telco cloud solutions that enhance network agility, optimize resource utilization, and improve reliability, thereby supporting the industry’s transition toward a fully digital and AI-driven future.
And of course, who can not forget about connecting with friends new and old!
Conclusion
MWC 2025 was a testament to the rapid advancements in mobile technology and connectivity. The convergence of AI, 5G, and innovative product designs indicates a future where technology seamlessly integrates into daily life, enhancing efficiency and connectivity. The event reinforced the importance of collaboration among industry leaders to drive sustainable and ethical technological growth, setting a promising trajectory for the years to come. See you next year Barcelona!
