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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.

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.

This edition of GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month looks at major operators' progress with revenues beyond traditional core telecoms. The GSMA Intelligence Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry.

From a financial perspective, services beyond traditional core telecoms are now a key component of telco revenue growth. This report looks at how far major operators have progressed with revenues beyond traditional core telecoms, the operators leading in terms of revenue diversification and growth beyond connectivity, and the main trends and drivers of growth.

Digital transformation of enterprises is accelerating across all vertical sectors, with next-generation connectivity being an important driver and enabler and a top area of investment. GSMA Intelligence surveyed 5,320 enterprises across 32 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for 5G and/or private networks technologies.

GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition examines the preferred retailers and sales channels for consumer smartphone purchases.

Digital transformation of enterprises is accelerating across all vertical sectors, with AI being an important driver and enabler and a top area of investment. GSMA Intelligence surveyed 5,320 enterprises across 32 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for AI.

Digital transformation of enterprises is accelerating across all vertical sectors, with IoT being an important driver and enabler. GSMA Intelligence surveyed 5,320 enterprises across 32 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for IoT.

GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at which topics telecoms operators focused on at MWC Barcelona 2026.

This report examines operators’ engagement at MWC Barcelona 2026, highlighting their announcements, innovations, strategy updates and messaging, in addition to examining implications for telecoms ecosystem players. We show our findings for 17 major operators across 12 areas of focus, including AI, 5G, B2B, B2C, cloud/edge and emerging tech such as APIs and non-terrestrial networks.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer eSIM, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: how eSIM-only and China’s eSIM launch are two factors that could accelerate consumer adoption of eSIM; how new customer propositions and offerings are taking travel eSIM to the next level; how eSIM is tapping into new categories of emerging consumer devices while driving new bundling approaches; and how eSIM is enabling a better blend of connectivity and entertainment experiences in sport.

With eSIM penetration in the consumer market set to double in 2026, and double again in 2027, this tracker provides data that operators, OEMs, eSIM vendors and other companies involved in the eSIM value chain, can use to formulate or adjust eSIM commercial strategies and offers. It covers three main areas: the commercialisation of eSIM consumer devices by OEM brand and type of device (smartphone, tablet and smartwatch); countries and MNOs that have launched commercial eSIM service for smartphones; and a consumer adoption forecast for eSIM in the smartphone market to 2030 (global and regional figures).

Global Mobile Trends 2026 highlights the opportunities and innovations ahead, as well as the challenges facing the mobile industry and beyond. Covering topics including AI, 5G, autonomous networks, devices, security, quantum, satellites, energy innovation and eSIM, the report focuses on what matters in 2026 and the implications for the industry. The latest edition of Global Mobile Trends delivers expert insights into the key trends that will define the mobile ecosystem in 2026 and beyond. Backed by GSMA Intelligence’s industry-leading research and data, the report provides an authoritative look at the forces shaping the next wave of connectivity and innovation.

Building on previous reports on the evolution of core networks in the 5G-Advanced and AI eras, this report explores what agentic AI means for the mobile core. For the mobile core, most key objectives are unchanged: building future-proof networks that can support a growing and diverse range of endpoints (users, devices and applications) while efficiently delivering intelligent services at scale – all underpinned by a monetisation imperative. But new dynamics have entered the space, from the rise of agentic AI to the sharp focus on sovereignty and mission-critical connectivity. As such, a fresh review of the evolution of mobile core networks is needed.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on consumer devices, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and the implications. The report considers four major developments: innovation in smartphones spanning both emerging form factors and fundamental features; new advancements and innovations in XR hardware and OS; important developments in the handheld games console market; and major milestones in the smartphone eSIM market.

Leveraging data from the 2025 survey, conducted between June and August, this report provides relevant insights into how the consumer behaviour is changing across eight topic areas: 5G; devices; eSIM; generative AI; pay TV; gaming; the metaverse and extended reality; and sustainability.

This dashboard, based on GSMA Intelligence 2025 consumer survey, provides all the relevant data related to eSIM user behaviour in a consistent and structured way – a valuable asset for companies looking to formulate or adjust their consumer commercial strategies and plans.

To help navigate 2026, this series of reports highlights the key trends to watch and the implications for ecosystem players. The analysis covers five key areas: 5G and network transformation; spectrum; IoT and the wider enterprise market; the digital consumer; and fixed and pay-TV markets.

During June–August 2025, GSMA Intelligence surveyed 5,320 enterprises on their digital transformation, focusing on objectives, investments, challenges, supplier decisions and enabling technology such as 5G, private networks, AI, IoT, cloud, edge, cybersecurity, network APIs and 6G. This report analyses the key findings and implications. The accompanying dashboard provides full survey data.