GSMA MWC26 Barcelona draws closer as CEOs from Character.AI, OURA and Qualcomm confirmed as speakers

29 January, London: MWC26 Barcelona, the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event, is set to return to the bustling halls of Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via on 2–5 March. The week-long gathering will unite global leaders, innovators and policymakers to explore the future of mobile and digital transformation, witnessing how advanced connectivity is being deployed across real environments.

Thought leadership will define discussions across MWC, with keynote stages and conference programmes shaped by some of the most influential voices across technology, business and society. CEOs and leaders from the breadth of the global mobile and technology ecosystem and beyond are set to take to MWC stages, with keynotes from:

• AT&T ‘s CEO, John Stankey
• Blizzard’s President, Johanna Faries
• BT Group’s CEO, Allison Kirkby
• Character.AI’s CEO, Karandeep Anand
• China Mobile’s CEO, He Biao
• Deutsche Telekom’s CEO, Tim Höttges
• Light’s CEO and Co-Founder, Kaiwei Tang
• Lumen’s President and CEO, Kate Johnson
• Nokia’s CEO, Justin Hotard
• NTT Inc’s President & CEO, Akira Shimada
• OURA’s CEO and Board Member, Tom Hale
• Orange Group’s CEO, Christel Heydemann
• Qualcomm’s President and CEO, Cristiano R. Amon
• Telecom Argentina’s CEO, Roberto Daniel Nobile
• Tools for Humanity’s CEO and Co-Founder, Alex Blania
• Vodafone’s CEO, Margherita Della Valle
• and Actor, Producer, and Entrepreneur Aaron Paul

New exhibitors include Adobe, Cohere, NSCALE, Siemens, and Toshiba, alongside the first-time appearance of Meta’s immersive Meta Lab, allowing attendees to experience the latest innovations in wearable AI technology.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., said: “As March approaches, I’m excited to see the industry come together again in Barcelona for what promises to be another exciting edition of MWC - our 20th in Barcelona. From Airport of the Future to our New Frontiers zone, there are so many exciting new elements to explore this year. These exhibits, experiences, and technologies on-site truly capture the core purpose of MWC Barcelona - real-world innovations showcasing how we will live in the future being deployed, tested and scaled to improve our lives in meaningful ways.”

The debut Airport of the Future experience will bring large-scale aviation innovation directly into the halls of MWC. Built around real-world use cases and operational environments, this dynamic, immersive exhibit will feature a live, full-scale Motional Digital Twin delivered by Outsight, the first time this technology will be deployed at a technology event in a live, real-scale setting. Using the exhibition area as a testbed, attendees will see how airports anonymously track passenger movement, manage queues, optimise asset use, and improve operational performance – all in real time.

Other confirmed demos include AENA’s digital luggage tagging and pet travel passports at check-in; a connected aircraft experience from Airbus allowing visitors to personalise their onboard cabin environment; and a 5G-connected aircraft showcase from Neutral Wireless demonstrating low-latency live video streaming for broadcasting.

These showcases join confirmed exhibitors Agibot, Alba Robot, ANYbotics, Mossos d’Esquadra, Vueling, and WaltR, with more exhibitors and exciting live demos for the inaugural Airport of the Future still to be revealed.

Another debut this year, New Frontiers is an immersive, future-focused showcase exploring the outer limits of innovation. Featuring around 20 exhibitors from across the world, many appearing at MWC for the first time, the exhibition brings together mind-expanding ideas poised to profoundly impact connectivity, industry and society., This will include - in addition those already announced - quantum leaders like Global Data Quantum and the Quantum Flagship, technology, satellite and NTN pioneers like the European Space Agency,  Eutelsat, and Viasat, and embodied AI leaders like Magiclab Robotics.

The GSMA Pavilion will showcase the power of networks and cross-industry collaboration with experiences including an immersive simulator featuring the speed and precision of Formula E. NUHS, in collaboration with Ericsson and Singtel, will showcase the future of AI and 5G-powered patient care - from an intelligent robot nurse to holographical surgical planning. While Elmo’s tele-driving service returns so attendees can drive a car around the Circuit de Catalunya, by steering it from the MWC show floor. Capgemini will showcase a smart factory in action, with a vision-guided robotic arm, whilst Infobip will challenge attendees to build and direct a team of AI agents to stop banking fraud. 

MWC’s iconic startup and innovation zone 4YFN will once again run alongside the event, bringing together a packed programme of startup-focused speakers and exhibitors changing the world, this year with its own dedicated North Entrance. Read more here.

Further updates on speakers, exhibitor announcements, and programme highlights will be shared on the MWC Barcelona Press Zone. Registration is open, and members of the media are invited to apply for a complimentary press pass here

Editors Note (30 Jan): Previously confirmed speakers from Loveable and Harvey are no longer participating at MWC26.

-ENDS-

About GSMA 

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. We invite you to find out more at gsma.com

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