Mobile World Congress 2018 wrap-up
Please sign in or register for a free public account to access this report.
GSMA Intelligence is today publishing research highlighting its key takeaways from Mobile World Congress 2018.
The 2018 edition of Mobile World Congress welcomed more than 107,000 visitors to Barcelona for the biggest event in the mobile industry. While the temperatures outside were unusually chilly, what was hot inside the halls was less surprising, with 5G and AI dominating. There was also lively, sometimes heated, discussion on how to ensure mobile can continue to fuel innovation, transform industry and impact people’s lives for the better.
We present our key messages from MWC in the report, but several broader themes run across much of this analysis and point the way for the industry as it continues to transform:
• Getting real: 5G has been gathering momentum for some time, and we’re now seeing concrete deployment plans alongside more practical demonstrations of use cases. But there was also something of a reality check around the inherent challenges of evolving the network for 5G to meet the needs of vertical industries. Meanwhile, in IoT, there’s recognition that the business case actually revolves around addressing specific needs rather than simply providing connectivity.
• Getting together: The need for collaboration ran across several streams this year. Examples included alliances to serve vertical industries; partnerships to bring solutions to the expanding smart home market; and industry-wide collaboration to bring safe and reliable smart-city deployments. Co-operation continues to be key across and beyond the ecosystem.
• Getting better: Creating a better future was the theme of MWC18. Industry leaders provided ample inspiration on how connectivity can create new drivers of economic growth, and how the industry can help make communities healthier and stronger. But the debate continues as to how to ensure the right investment climate and regulatory environment to underpin such development going forward.
Related research
The mobile churn challenge: where loyalty is lowest and four recommendations for operators
The latest consumer survey by GSMA Intelligence reveals that around one in seven mobile users changed their service provider over the previous 12 months. The main reasons for churn have stayed largely unchanged over the last five years, at the aggregate level, with value for money by far the top reason. However, variations exist between consumer segments in terms of the degree of churn and the drivers.
MWC Shanghai 2025: a window into the future?
MWC Shanghai is in the books for another year, having attracted 45,000 visitors (from 12,500 companies), along with 400 exhibitors and partner groups. The numbers were up from the 2024 event by 13% and 92% respectively. This analysis highlights the key takeaways and implications from meetings, summits and announcements at the event – and in particular, whether the progress seen in China can be mapped to other regions.
GSMA Open Gateway: State of the Market, H1 2025
Representing 285 networks and almost 80% of mobile subscribers worldwide, 73 operator groups are now committed to GSMA Open Gateway. This latest research provides an update on the state of the market, recent developments, and examples of GSMA Open Gateway in action. It also offers a deep dive on supply/demand gap analysis.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn moreRelated research
The mobile churn challenge: where loyalty is lowest and four recommendations for operators
The latest consumer survey by GSMA Intelligence reveals that around one in seven mobile users changed their service provider over the previous 12 months. The main reasons for churn have stayed largely unchanged over the last five years, at the aggregate level, with value for money by far the top reason. However, variations exist between consumer segments in terms of the degree of churn and the drivers.
MWC Shanghai 2025: a window into the future?
MWC Shanghai is in the books for another year, having attracted 45,000 visitors (from 12,500 companies), along with 400 exhibitors and partner groups. The numbers were up from the 2024 event by 13% and 92% respectively. This analysis highlights the key takeaways and implications from meetings, summits and announcements at the event – and in particular, whether the progress seen in China can be mapped to other regions.
GSMA Open Gateway: State of the Market, H1 2025
Representing 285 networks and almost 80% of mobile subscribers worldwide, 73 operator groups are now committed to GSMA Open Gateway. This latest research provides an update on the state of the market, recent developments, and examples of GSMA Open Gateway in action. It also offers a deep dive on supply/demand gap analysis.
- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics