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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.

The key takeaways in Q2 2026 are that satellite connectivity is shifting into a major strategic battleground and sovereignty is now a crucial question. A proposed SpaceX IPO at a very high valuation underscores expectations that Starlink will evolve beyond infrastructure into a direct competitor to mobile operators, particularly in mobile and AI-linked connectivity markets. However, the analysis suggests the realistic near-term revenue opportunity is far smaller than the headline figures imply, reinforcing that growth depends on execution of next-generation satellite deployments rather than total market substitution.

The SpaceX IPO prospectus frames a total addressable market (TAM) of $28.5 trillion across AI, connectivity and space-enabled infrastructure. The mobile TAM is listed at $740 billion. Starlink is positioning direct-to-device (D2D) as a global connectivity layer spanning consumer mobility, verticals and eventually coverage in urban areas. This raises broader questions for the telecoms industry around spectrum ownership, infrastructure economics, neutral-host models and regulatory oversight. This Insight Spotlight assesses these questions and grounds the TAM for mobile in reality.

As of Q1 2026, Starlink continues to maintain a significant gap in its deployed capacity versus the rest of the field. It has now deployed over 75% of its initial constellation. Meanwhile, Amazon's recent agreement to acquire Globalstar reinforces the trend of consolidation among satellite companies to address scale challenges. For operators, satellite capability is emerging as both a defensive necessity and competitive differentiator, positioning NTNs as a dual lever for ARPU uplift and churn reduction.

Amazon has agreed to acquire Globalstar in a deal valued at approximately $11.6 billion. It has indicated that it expects the deal to close in 2027, subject to regulatory clearance. This would pave the way for Amazon’s own direct-to-device satellite service launching in 2028. The deal will firmly place Amazon as the main competitor of Starlink in the burgeoning D2D space. But it also has ramifications for other satellite companies and telecoms operators.

Direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity has emerged as a notable development in the mobile ecosystem, promising to extend basic mobile services beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. It has the potential to enhance coverage in remote and underserved areas and to provide an additional layer of resilience for emergency communications. While the technology has clear benefits, is advancing rapidly and is attracting significant attention, its practical role remains constrained by fundamental limitations in capacity and spectral efficiency. This report examines the impact of different constellation and spectrum scenarios on D2D’s capabilities.

Satellite constellation volume ramped up in H2 2025, in preparation for phased commercial launches in 2026. The focus continues to be on direct-to-device (D2D). Starlink has deployed almost 80% of its initial 12,000-strong constellation. Amazon and AST SpaceMobile are among the chasing pack. Both have big aspirations for their constellations but have different motivations.

Consumers are beginning to adopt services powered by hybrid cellular/satellite connectivity. However, the revenue opportunity for telecoms operators and satellite partners hinges on consumers' willingness to pay.

How will the industry evolve in 2026? This series of reports highlights the key trends to watch and the implications for ecosystem players. This report examines the IoT and enterprise markets.

Q3 2025 saw further trials of direct-to-device (D2D) offerings from telcos, with Rogers in Canada the latest to launch. Examining the trials, it is clear that initial services will focus on SMS and, in some cases, voice. Both are low bandwidth and within the bounds of the spectral capacity available.

The entry of Amazon’s Kuiper represented the biggest competitive development in the satellite space in Q2 2025. This is set against the backdrop of 2025 being a key year for the commercialisation of telco-satellite partnerships.

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.

Direct to cell continues to be the main attraction for operators due to the monetisation opportunities from an extended coverage footprint. IoT is an interesting storyline in 2025 given that the latest standards (Release 19) incorporate new functionality for non-terrestrial network services geared at IoT applications such as sensors, telematics and energy monitoring.

Commercial drone deployment at scale would allow drones to seamlessly integrate into our daily activities and transform various industries, adding economic growth. However, achieving this requires a supportive regulatory framework. GSMA Intelligence assessed drone regulatory readiness and spectrum availability across 13 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. The readiness level of each country varies based on several indicators, including the availability of licensed mobile spectrum. The realisation of the drone opportunity will depend on the ability of countries to enable a supportive regulatory environment.

In the last three months, eight more operators moved into the satellite space, taking the total to almost 100. This report tracks data and developments from telcos and satellite companies in pursuit of monetisation in the consumer, B2B and government sectors.

Bharti Airtel has trialled and subsequently deployed a new technology for wireless backhaul. The technology, free-space optical communications (FSOC), has been pioneered by Taara - a division of X, the Moonshot Factory of Alphabet. This case-study report explains FSOC, outlines Bharti Airtel's deployment of the technology, and assesses FSOC's viability as an alternative transport solution.

MWC Las Vegas 2024 saw three days of meetings, demos, keynotes and engaging content. Beyond the broad enterprise 5G theme, three areas of insight stood out: AI, IoT and non-terrestrial network (NTN) development.

This report tracks data and developments from telcos and satellite companies in pursuit of monetisation in the consumer, B2B and government sectors.

Satellite IoT connectivity and applications have been around for some time, but adoption has been hampered by high pricing and technical complexities. However, over the last few years, 3GPP 5G standards have included compatibility for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs).