IFA 2024: AI dominates the show

With a 33% rise in international visitors this year, MWC Shanghai speaks to China’s influence and gravitational pull on the regional Asian tech economy and reciprocal demand from buyers to see and be seen on the MWC stage in an already busy event calendar. The analysis here highlights the key takeaways and implications from the meetings, summits and announcements at the event.

With network and service automation a hallmark of the TM Forum’s work, there was never any doubt as to the predominant theme at this year’s DTW Ignite event in Copenhagen. While AI is impacting nearly every aspect of telecoms networks and services, a key question was how this would be reflected in the event’s keynotes, launches and meetings. Agentic AI played a significant role in this year’s messaging – but, more surprisingly, core network automation garnered outsized attention.

Several dynamics have either emerged or intensified, materially altering the strategic role of the mobile core. These shifts demand a fresh review of how mobile core networks are evolving – and how they must continue to evolve. The mobile core remains an enabling layer. At the same time, it is becoming an intelligent, adaptive platform that will shape how operators compete, differentiate and grow in the AI era – as long as operators know how to put it to use and evolve its capabilities.