Altman Solon is the largest global TMT consulting firm, with expertise in telecommunications consulting. In this insight, our telecom experts share their perspectives on the key themes of Mobile World Congress 2026. These perspectives reflect the views of our experts and do not necessarily represent the official position of Altman Solon.
MWC26 marked a turning point for the telecoms industry. Not because of a single breakthrough, but because the gap between ambition and execution is now impossible to ignore.
Across operators, vendors, and hyperscalers, the industry is converging on a small number of strategic truths: automation is no longer optional, AI is moving from experimentation to operating model change, and value creation will come from services layered on connectivity, not from connectivity itself.
Below, we outline our key takeaways from MWC26 and what they mean for operators, vendors, and investors as they navigate the market's next phase.
MWC26 was not about optimism or pessimism. It was about hard choices.
Telcos are entering a phase where:
The question is no longer “what is possible?” It is “what do we commit to, and what do we stop doing?”
Thank you to Arpad Kiraly, Diane Leung, Federico Torri, Frederic Huet, Justin Jameson, Patrick Marshall, Ruchir Kalra, Satya Ghosh Ammu, and Ed Ellis for their contributions to this piece.
The views and opinions expressed in this insight are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Altman Solon.