STL Partners’ Research team present their observations from and analysis of the biggest mobile industry event of the year. There was a lot of buzz around AI and API but behind the tech jargon, we saw evidence that our industry continues to morph to become more open and customer-focused.

MWC 2024

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the world’s biggest showcase for the mobile telecoms industry. MWC 2024 marked the third year back to full scale after COVID disruptions and with over 101k visitors, 2,700 exhibitors and 1,100 speakers it has returned back to its pre-COVID heights. Notably, over 59% of visitors came from industries adjacent to the core mobile ecosystem, reflecting STL’s view that we are now in a new industry with a diverse range of players delivering connected technologies.

With such scale it can be difficult to find the significant messages through the noise. STL’s research team attended the event in full force, and we each focused on a specific topic. In this report we distil what we saw at MWC 2024 and what we think it means for telecoms operators, technology companies and new players entering the industry.

Artificial intelligence unapologetically dominated the MWC 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) was everywhere, from big keynotes detailing visions of the future to every specific topical area (infrastructure, devices, partnerships, sustainability), to countless announcements and demos on the stands. The telecom industry was keen to demonstrate to its partners and investors that it is part of the technology that is expected to shape life in the next years and decades.

There was AI hype for sure, and not everyone’s position was convincing. But, crucially, many players showed concrete steps, applications and visions of how AI will be embedded in the industry, not just helping to cut costs but more importantly, opening up new streams of growth.

Endorsement of the importance of the telecom industry came from Microsoft, AWS and others, looking for close partnering and trying to ensure the infrastructure will be there for AI to fulfil its potential but also genuinely trying to help telcos be a major player in AI. Paths will diverge with some telcos working closely with the AI giants, while others choose to go alone or in new alliances. But we can be sure that telcos now take AI seriously.

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Table of contents

• Executive Summary
• Strategic themes
  • AI
  • 6G
  • Regulation in Europe
• Internal transformation and innovation
  • Key themes
  • Key themes and announcements for upskilling
  • Key themes and announcements for collaborative innovation
  • Key takeaways
• Consumer
  • Notable absences
  • Key themes
  • Key announcements
  • What caught our eye
  • Key takeaways
• Enterprise
  • Key themes
  • Key announcements
  • What caught our eye
  • Key takeaways
• Network innovation
  • Key themes
  • Key announcements
  • What caught our eye
  • Notable absences
  • Key takeaways
• Private networks
  • Key themes
  • Key announcements
  • What caught our eye
  • Notable absences
  • Key takeaways
• Edge computing
  • Key themes
  • Key announcements
  • Key takeaways
• Sustainability
  • Key themes and announcements
  • Notable absences
  • Key takeaways
• Bonus section: The weird and wonderful

Related research

• Can ecosystem models advance network API monetisation?
• Network APIs: Driving new revenue streams for telcos
• Network-as-a-service: APIs, AI and the open cloud
• Edge AI: How AI is sparking te adoption of edge computing
• MWC 2023: You are now in a new industry
• MWC 2022: Sensing the winds of change

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