Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, held from March 3 to 6 in sunny Barcelona, showcased the latest advancements in connectivity and mobile technology from around the world. This year’s theme, “Converge. Connect. Create.”, emphasized the event’s role as a global nexus for social policy, business leadership and digital innovation. With a record-matching attendance of 109,000 participants from over 200 countries, MWC highlighted the rapid evolution of the mobile industry and its profound impact on various sectors and industries.
Key themes included the progression of 5G technology and the exponential growth of IoT devices, projected to surpass 15 billion in two years, underscoring the need for open, seamless, sustainable, and secure global network solutions. Innovations in artificial intelligence were prominently featured, with different companies demonstrating significant advancements in on-device AI capabilities, Agentic Agents for more efficient network management and customer service, AI-driven robotics and more. Developments around the network included network slicing, network APIs, AI optical networks, non-terrestrial networks and private wireless. The MVNx world was also featured and discussed quite heavily, where industry innovators are creating a robust and revolutionary ecosystem that is built around openness, helping brands and businesses to create and launch new and exciting connectivity experiences for their customers – more on that later in the blog.
MWC 2025 not only celebrated technological breakthroughs but also fostered essential conversations on the future of connectivity, setting the stage for continued innovation in the years to come. Here are some key themes we came across during our time at the show.
Key trends from MWC 2025
Artificial intelligence
AI was at the heart of MWC 2025, with companies showcasing groundbreaking (and sometimes strange) innovations in AI-driven devices, network optimization, robotics, mobility, and virtual assistants. The event showcased how advancements in AI are transforming mobile technology, making it more efficient, user-friendly and interconnected.
Agentic AI and Agentic Agents were common points of discussion during the show. AI-powered digital assistants that can autonomously solve even extremely complex network, customer service or technical problems, are able to give humans back their time so they can concentrate on being creative, driving innovation and developing strategy in the telecoms space. The developments in Agentic AI, machine learning, automation and natural language processing reflect an important shift in network management and customer service, where issues can be resolved faster and more efficiently to improve service reliability, optimize network performance, reduce downtime, and enable a higher calibre of customer service.
Additionally, AI-RAN was something we heard a lot about in Barcelona. Still in the early developmental phases, the AI-RAN concept looks to improve network performance, open up AI computing capacity in the world and deliver better value for CSPs. We heard Nokia, Samsung Electronics, T-Mobile USA and others speak on this subject, so one to watch for the future.
Consumers also seem to be embracing AI when it comes to their devices. Samsung reported during the show that 75% of Galaxy device owners utilize AI features daily for things like photo editing and daily scheduling, and we’ll start to see AI being integrated more into consumer devices in the years to come.
We stopped by the impressive Etisalat booth and were intrigued by their humanoid robot, designed to interact with people using AI-powered speed and facial expressions – it can even observe and comment on its surroundings, engaging with the audience in real-time. New AI concepts and frameworks were in abundance during the show and it was definitely one of the most pivotal themes throughout the four days in Barcelona.
The MVNx ecosystem and the rise of unique, value-added connectivity experiences
Merely selling connectivity is no longer a differentiator – connectivity is now about the experience. Consumers are looking to get their connectivity through unconventional avenues (take a look at our Mobile Consumer Survey for some evidence), and the mobile industry is finally responding. The one-size-fits-all approach no longer works, and judging by what we saw and heard at MWC this year, carriers from across the globe are now acknowledging this, working with innovative partners to drive change within the industry.
We spoke alongside our partners AWS and AT&T during the show on the growing MVNx landscape. AT&T in particular is cultivating a ‘MVNx ecosystem’, built for innovation and flexibility and where collaboration rather than competition is a steering mindset. OXIO’s Telecom-as-a-Service (TaaS) is part of that ecosystem, enabling brands to deliver differentiated, value-added connectivity services to customers that go far beyond what we’ve traditionally seen in telecommunications. Not only can brands build unique experiences for customers at speed and scale, but they also get access to powerful and unique telecom and subscriber data from OXIO’s network core, giving them all they need to drive differentiated success in the market. All of the telecom technology is taken care of, leaving brands to do what they do best. With this in mind, modern MVNOs will not identify as MVNOs, they will be adding connectivity as another layer of value that they can bring to customers.
All of this is made possible through the cloudification of connectivity. Brands are no longer confined by geographic boundaries when it comes to building holistic connectivity experiences for customers. Working with providers like OXIO, who offer a global telecom solution through our collaboration with AWS, allows businesses and brands to offer seamless and scalable connectivity wherever they want to operate in the world. This is particularly true for enterprise use cases.
The industry’s push for openness
Openness in telecom is transforming the industry by fostering interoperability, innovation, and cost efficiency and was a major trend at this year’s MWC. We continue to see initiatives like Open RAN, Open APIs, Open Network Automation, Open Spectrum, Open Wi-Fi, Open Core Networks, and more being discussed and advanced.
Initiatives like Open RAN are breaking vendor lock-in by allowing operators to mix and match radio equipment from different suppliers, driving competition and flexibility. Similarly, Open APIs are enabling seamless integration between telecom networks and third-party applications, accelerating the development of new services such as AI-driven network automation and enhanced customer experiences. These open interfaces are crucial for fostering a more agile and software-driven telecom ecosystem.
Beyond Open RAN and Open APIs, openness extends into multiple layers of the telecom network. By embracing open technologies across the stack, telecom operators can accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and build more resilient, future-proof networks. We’ll start to see the term ‘openness’ being used a lot this year and into the future.
The convergence of connectivity and banking
The finance and banking sectors were also prominently featured at MWC 2025, highlighting the ongoing digital transformation and integration of advanced technologies in this sector. The natural synergy between connectivity and banking is reshaping financial services, enabling seamless digital transactions, real-time payments, and enhanced financial inclusion through developments in always-on, secure and accessible networks.
The rise of a global telecom offering through the advent of Telecom-as-a-Service, is also proving to be revolutionary for enterprise banks looking for a truly global and compliant telecom solution to meet their needs. Symphony – a messaging, voice, directory and analytics software platform for the financial services industry – spoke alongside OXIO and AWS during an AWS Studio session on Day 3 of the show on this very topic. It’s clear that there is a real need for a singular, global, compliant and reliable connectivity solution for the banking sector, as well as a way to personalize the enterprise banking use case in telecom.
MNOs have attempted various solutions to this, but generally they’ve been siloed and time-intensive and as a result, financially prohibitive. OXIO’s Telecom-as-a-Service solution overcomes these challenges to provide the banking industry with a worldwide connectivity platform that is not only compliant, but enables the CIO of a bank to personalize employee plans to very granular detail based on employee job roles, locations or travel.
We’re excited to showcase more of what we’re doing to empower compliant and global connectivity in the financial services industry during next year’s show.
eSIM
Advancements in eSIM were a focal point at MWC, highlighting the transformative impact the technology is having on connectivity and device management, globally.
This year’s summit brought together industry experts to discuss eSIM’s role in transforming connected industries, its evolution in consumer and IoT markets and possible future challenges. Topics covered included global eSIM market trends, real-world IoT and M2M deployments, and the integration of emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing to enhance eSIM scalability.
We attended the MVNO Summit, held during the afternoon of Day 3, where the conversation around eSIM took centre stage, showcasing the growing interest among MVNOs in monetizing inbound roaming through eSIM. We heard from the GSMA themselves, as well as MVNOs and eSIM providers like Hakan Koç from 1Global, as they shared insights into the growing influence of embedded SIM technology, where global connectivity is being powered without the need for physical SIMs, and how this can have a transformative impact on MVNO’s and their business models in years to come.
eSIM adoption has faced its share of challenges, but with industry giants like Apple potentially moving toward a global eSIM-only future, the pace of change across the market could accelerate significantly. 1Global demonstrated the transformative power of eSIM in enhancing connectivity for businesses, showcasing their work with Suitsupply—a Dutch men’s fashion brand operating across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. By leveraging 1Global’s eSIM technology, Suitsupply seamlessly provisions its global POS terminals with fast, reliable connectivity, optimizing worldwide operations and ensuring an uninterrupted, frictionless in-store experience for customers.
Data
One of the first booths we explored at the show was Orange’s, where we were immediately drawn to their interactive data walls. These dynamic displays visually represented the constant flow of data through their network, responding to physical touch in real-time. This immersive experience symbolized the seamless and ever-evolving nature of connectivity on the Orange network and the wider telecom network ecosystem.
Connected industries showcased how AI and big data are driving telecom innovation, as well as ensuring sectors like automotive and manufacturing thrive in the digital age. It highlighted the pivotal role of telecommunications in advancing connected vehicles, autonomous driving, and next-generation manufacturing.
The show also addressed the importance of building resilient and proactive strategies in an uncertain landscape. This involved leveraging data to make informed decisions and maintain competitiveness, ensuring organizations can adapt to unpredictable challenges.
Collectively, these themes underscored the critical role of data in driving technological advancement and shaping the future of various industries. At OXIO, we believe unearthed telecom data holds huge potential for MVNOs. Extracting insights and subscriber data from our own telecom core enables us to deliver unique intelligence that can help MVNOs understand their customers better, drive more proactive and successful marketing campaigns, and ultimately fuel their competitive edge in the market. We’re excited to see how the big data and AI themes continue to evolve in the year ahead.
Final thoughts on MWC 2025
For the OXIO team, MWC represents an opportunity to connect with our global partner and customer communities in one city and under one roof. It’s the telecommunications event of the year, and one we embrace as we continue to accelerate our Telecom-as-a-Service offering and mission across the globe.
The 2025 event exceeded expectations, with our team engaging in over 55 meetings in just four action-packed days. As we set our sights on the future, we’re energized by the sheer scale of innovation on display at MWC this year. While some elements of telecom remain slow and clunky, the industry is actively embracing innovation, making remarkable strides in technological advancements that are reshaping connectivity as we know it.
Nos vemos el año que viene Barcelona.
