Curtain Call at MWC 2026: Transatel’s Takeaway and Leadership Notes

As the doors of Mobile World Congress 2026 closed, we at Transatel took a moment to reflect on an edition that truly captured the industry's shift toward intelligent, limitless connectivity. Held from March 2-5 in Barcelona, MWC 2026 marked the 20th edition of this flagship GSMA event, and cemented its role as the connectivity crossroads, uniting the industry to tackle 5G completion, AI ethics, and a safer digital era.

As the world's premier connectivity event, the event drew over 105,000 visitors and 2,900 exhibitors, sponsors, and partners. This year's framing around "The IQ Era" highlighted how AI is embedding into networks, devices, and applications to drive real-world transformation. The program was structured around six themes: Intelligent Infrastructure, ConnectAI, AI 4 Enterprise, AI Nexus, Tech4All, and Game Changers, all pointing to AI native networks, automation, and inclusive digital growth.

Where the industry is heading: 5G SA, AI Governance, and Digital Security

In the corridors and roundtables there was a strong sense of urgency around three priorities: completing the move to standalone 5G, mastering AI safely, and strengthening digital security end to end. Transatel's global connectivity team spent the week launching conversations, running demos, and co-creating use cases and innovations with our colleagues, peers and partners.

What stood out this year

• AI native networks and intelligent infrastructure moving from vision to deployment.
• Data privacy, data localization, and secure connectivity for critical assets are rapidly growing priorities.
• Enterprise private 5G and edge AI are becoming mainstream topics across verticals such as manufacturing, transport, and logistics.
• Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), direct to device satellite, and hybrid architectures are gaining serious attention, even if still early.
• eSIM and remote provisioning frameworks are becoming the default connectivity strategy for OEMs and enterprises.

We also saw stronger participation from enterprises outside the traditional telco universe, reflecting how connectivity and intelligence now sit at the core of business strategy.

Strategic partnerships and global collaboration

MWC has always been about collaboration, and this year was no exception. Our booth was buzzing with meaningful conversations and live demonstrations that reflect Transatel's ongoing mission to simplify global connectivity.

It was a pleasure to welcome our partner, TD SYNNEX, to our booth. Meeting in person gave us the chance to deepen our collaboration & re-inforce our ongoing partnership for global IT resellers to seamlessly bundle Ubigi's global eSIM and 5G plans with connected devices - PCs, routers, tablets, and smartphones - making scalable, future-proof connectivity more accessible than ever.

Innovation on display: The future of connected systems

As we explored the exhibition floors, several innovations stood out. Every major device manufacturer seemed to have a clear eSIM implementation roadmap. Validating that SGP.31/.32 is not just a proposal but a working reality. This new standard is setting the foundation for seamless and interoperable consumer and IoT eSIM profiles across ecosystems. At Transatel, we have been actively working with leading OEMs and integrators to ensure that our connectivity platform supports this new generation of eUICC management with flexibility and compliance.

Another key takeaway this year was the growing focus on IoT security. The number of discussions centered around SASE frameworks, Zero Trust architectures, and device identity management showed that the market is acutely aware that innovation must go hand in hand with protection. This topic was especially relevant in our sessions and meetings throughout the week.

Our Head of IoT Product & Marketing, Cedric Jarkovsky, joined Steve Shaw, 5G Marketing Expert at Palo Alto Networks, on the NTT Data booth for a session titled "Where 5G meets SASE: Securing the edge of a hyper-connected world." Together, they explored how enterprises scaling their 5G and IoT deployments can combine global IoT connectivity and SASE frameworks to manage distributed environments securely.

The discussion emphasized three key pillars: global cellular coverage, robust IoT security, and simplified management. Listening to Cedric and Steve exchange insights highlighted how important it is for industry players to integrate security at the very edge of the network - where devices, data, and intelligence converge.

Synergy across the NTT Group

At MWC Barcelona 2026, the NTT Group made a strong statement with its first fully joint presence in seven years, uniting NTT DATA and NTT DOCOMO under a single narrative following its 2025 corporate identity refresh and positioning itself as a foundational player in the AI era.

Under the theme "Photonics Unlocks an Intelligent Power-Optimized Future," NTT focused on the energy challenge of AI at scale, highlighting its IOWN vision, photonics-based infrastructure, optical quantum computing and early 6G + AI architectures as pillars for sustainable digital growth.

NTT DATA reinforced its role as enterprise integrator, translating deep infrastructure innovation into applied use cases such as agentic AI, smart mobility and digital infrastructure, while NTT DOCOMO showcased AI-native networks, autonomous operations and "Network for AI" concepts for the 6G era. This unified positioning was underpinned by a high-visibility senior management presence, led by Akira Shimada, CEO of NTT, who delivered a keynote outlining the group's long-term vision for energy-efficient, AI-driven infrastructure.

The visible alignment of the three CEOs and active participation of senior leaders across sessions and briefings underscored that NTT's MWC26 presence was strategic, signaling strong top-level commitment to a tightly integrated "One NTT" global brand.

Fortinet leading the security advancements

Security remained a recurring focus throughout the event. Cedric also recorded a video interview with Ronen Shpirer, Marketing Director at Fortinet, discussing how OT and IoT security are converging in the 5G and AI era.

Together, Transatel and Fortinet are addressing this challenge through FortiSASE, a secure access architecture that provides visibility and protection across connected environments.

The Airport of the Future: Connectivity in action

As a global connectivity partner for industry leaders like Airbus & SITA, "Airport of the Future" was the right place to co-exhibit with our brilliant colleagues from NTT DATA. This dedicated area, designed as a live showcase, brought the vision of smart aviation to life.

Our Aviation Sales Manager, Maxime Le Leannec, presented how Private 5G, IoT, and Edge computing are transforming airport infrastructure. Visitors got to experience real scenarios including predictive maintenance systems powered by edge AI, immersive VR training platforms, smart border controls, and unified connectivity solutions for both passengers and airport operations. Seeing attendees interact with these solutions reminds us why connectivity is at the heart of smarter transportation.

Convergence of Connectivity, Cloud, and Intelligence

If one word could summarize MWC 2026 from our perspective, it would be "convergence." Technologies that once evolved separately - AI, IT-OT, cloud, edge, and connectivity - are now forming unified ecosystems creating new business models and redefining user expectations. The conversations we had this year showed that enterprises no longer see connectivity as a utility. It has become a strategic enabler of productivity, data-driven decision-making, and resilience.

With partners in excellence like Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and TD SYNNEX, we are demonstrating how intelligent network orchestration, edge security, and flexible eSIM management can unlock new value across industries.

¡Nos vemos, MWC27!

As we leave Barcelona, we bring home rich insights and renewed motivation. The success of this year's event goes far beyond numbers or announcements; it is about alignment. Alignment between technology providers, regulators, enterprises, and end-users to build a connected world that is inclusive and sustainable.

At Transatel, our vision is clear: providing seamless, secure, and intelligent connectivity that enables businesses to thrive in a world where everyone and everything is connected. The conversations at MWC Barcelona 2026 reaffirmed that mission, and we are grateful to our colleagues across the NTT Group and beyond for sharing the journey with us.

Until next year in Barcelona, where we'll swap insights over paella and cava while chasing the next connectivity breakthrough. ¡Nos vemos, MWC27!