7 Most Notable IoT and Telco Networking Trends - As Seen at MWC 2026
IoT Analytics, Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
IoT Analytics identifies seven key telecommunications and IoT networking trends from MWC 2026, including AI-RAN shared compute, 6G/Wi-Fi 8 commercialization, and satellite integration.
At Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, telecommunications vendors and operators demonstrated significant advances across multiple technology areas.
Key trends include telcos repositioning AI-RAN as shared compute infrastructure for monetization through GPUaaS and AI services, vendors moving 6G and Wi-Fi 8 from theoretical frameworks into AI-native hardware roadmaps, and mobile operators integrating satellite and non-terrestrial network (NTN) technologies directly into cellular and IoT workflows.
Additionally, companies are commercializing SGP.32 eSIM standards, positioning edge AI at low-power IoT nodes, splitting cellular IoT strategies between Cat 1 bis and RedCap migration, and advancing IoT security toward post-quantum readiness and secure silicon implementations.