GSMA MWC Shanghai 2026 Opens with AI, Robotics and Drone Showcases

The 13th edition of the Mobile World Congress opened on 24 June at Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre, gathering about 200 speakers from the global mobile ecosystem. The opening ceremony featured a surprise appearance by Honor’s humanoid robots Vita Boy and Flash, the latter a recent winner of Beijing’s Humanoid Robot Half‑Marathon.

GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath highlighted three emerging frontiers – humanoid robotics, the low‑altitude economy and autonomous vehicles – emphasizing that telco infrastructure now underpins new services such as AI‑driven devices, drones and connected vehicles. New zones at the show included the Mobile AI Innovation Frontiers area and the Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge, while the inaugural GLOMO Awards Asia recognized outstanding mobile innovations.

“Operators are becoming strategic digital partners, enabling robots, drones, connected vehicles and AI solutions across the economy,” Badrinath said, underscoring the event’s focus on the next wave of mobile‑driven technologies.