Are Telecom Operators Embracing or Resisting AI?

Mobile World Congress 2026 debrief

Al is widely expected to be the overarching topic of discussion at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC26). Of most interest to attendees will be evidence that operators are shifting from proofs of concept to scaled commercialization of generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI use cases.
 
Historically, telcos have moved painfully slowly to adopt new technologies, and the move toward AI has been no different. But greater pressure on operators to demonstrate action and show results from AI will be on display at MWC26, especially as revenue growth remains anemic and operators’ focus shifts to cost reduction. TBR believes hyperscalers could steal the show again, further marginalizing operators in the very industry they helped create.
 
In addition to AI, fixed wireless access (FWA), network slicing and private cellular networks will be topics of discussion at this year’s event, and TBR expects to hear about meaningful developments pertaining to those markets.
 
In the below TBR Insights Live on-demand video, Principal Analyst Chris Antlitz shares his top takeaways from MWC26. Chris also discusses how emerging opportunities are likely to drive disruptions in technology and business models and impact markets.