GSMA MWC26 Barcelona countdown begins with thought leaders cleared for take-off from SpaceX and Starlink

Registration opens with new dynamic and immersive show floor experiences revealed, including 4YFN, Airport of the Future, CircuitX, New Frontiers

LONDON, Nov. 13, 2025 /CNW/ -- MWC26 Barcelona, the world's largest and most influential connectivity event, has opened for registration, taking place at Fira de Barcelona's iconic Gran Via, 2-5 March 2026. MWC26 celebrates two decades of industry-defining moments and partnerships in Barcelona and will unite global leaders, innovators, and policymakers to explore the technologies shaping digital transformation across industries and society.

Under the event theme "The IQ Era," MWC26 embraces a new age of intelligence through smarter connection. It follows 20 years of iconic thought leadership by titans of our industry on the stages of MWC.

Joining the MWC speakers' hall of fame, MWC26 will feature SpaceX's President and COO, Gwynne Shotwell, Starlink's VP of Engineering, Michael Nicolls.  Also joining the main stage, with more thought leaders to be revealed on our website in due course:

• Bharti Airtel Group's Vice Chairman and Managing Director and GSMA Chair, Gopal Vittal;
• BostonGene's President and CEO, and NetCracker's CEO & Chairman, Andrew Feinberg;
• Orange Group's CEO, Christel Heydemann;
• Rakuten's CEO, Mickey Mikitani;
• VEON's Group CEO, Kaan Terzioğlu;
• and leading technology analyst Benedict Evans.

The agenda is built around six core themes: Intelligent Infrastructure, ConnectAI, AI 4 Enterprise, AI Nexus, Tech4All, and Game Changers each exploring how collective intelligence and connectivity can drive societal and technological progress.

This year's exhibitors and sponsors will include Accenture, Amazon Web Services, AT&T, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Dell, Deutsche Telekom, EY, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Honor, Huawei, Intel, KPMG, KT, Liberty Global, Meta, Microsoft, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, SKT,  Snowflake, ZTE and Xiaomi.

Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA, said:  "For two decades, MWC Barcelona has been the place where everyone, from founders to presidents, come together to experience the power of connection and get business done. The 2026 edition marks the beginning of a new era of intelligence, emphasising the advancement of connectivity, human-driven tech innovation, commercial development, and societal progress."

Returning favourites include the GSMA Ministerial Programme, 4YFN26, the GLOMOs,Talent Arena, and  BEAT BARCELONA alongside new immersive experiences:

• New Frontiers: Showcasing frontier technologies such as Quantum Computing, Physical AI, and Satellite and Non-Terrestrial Networks, with live demos from Aalyria, Agibot, Equatys, Eutelsat and Toshiba Quantum.
• Airport of the Future: the new zone, including the returning Smart Airports Summit, is an immersive exhibition experience showing how connected technologies are transforming aviation and air travel, with interactive demos from innovators, including zone partners Airbus and Outsight.
• CircuitX : As part of the collaboration between GSMA Foundry, Mobile World Capital Barcelona, and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya managed by Fira de Barcelona, CircuitX will showcase cutting-edge advances in smart mobility and immersive fan experiences. Attendees can explore interactive demo pods and attend live sessions from industry leaders, marking the first phase of an exciting multi-year journey.

4YFN returns for its 11^th year with the theme Infinite AI, celebrating the limitless potential of human and machine creativity. Highlights include the 4YFN26 Awards and a 4YFN Partner Programme hosted by Amazon Web Services.

MWC Partner Programmes will feature sessions from Alibaba Cloud, FC Barcelona's Barça Innovation Hub, Government of Catalonia, GTI, Huawei, O-RAN Alliance, Samsung,

SK Telecom, Tecno Mobile, Telus, World Internet Conference, and YOFC, with new partners for 2026 including MediaTek and ViaSat.

Members of the media are invited to apply for a complimentary press pass here. Click here to read the full press release

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SOURCE GSMA