The GSMA has opened registration for MWC26 Barcelona, marking the 20th edition of the world’s largest connectivity conference, to be held from 2nd–5th March 2026 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via.
This milestone year will see SpaceX President and COO, Gwynne Shotwell, and Starlink Vice-President of Engineering, Michael Nicolls, among the headline speakers, as the event explores how artificial intelligence and next-generation connectivity are reshaping industries and society.
Under the theme The IQ Era, MWC26 will examine the growing role of intelligence-driven technologies in digital transformation. The four-day conference will feature six central tracks: Intelligent Infrastructure, ConnectAI, AI 4 Enterprise, AI Nexus, Tech4All, and Game Changers.
Other confirmed speakers include Bharti Airtel’s Gopal Vittal, Orange Group’s Christel Heydemann, Rakuten’s Mickey Mikitani, VEON’s Kaan Terzio?lu, BostonGene and NetCracker chief Andrew Feinberg, and technology analyst Benedict Evans.
Vivek Badrinath, GSMA’s Director General, said the 2026 edition “marks the beginning of a new era of intelligence”, building on two decades of MWC Barcelona as “the place where everyone, from founders to presidents, come together to experience the power of connection and get business done.”
Major exhibitors and sponsors already confirmed include Accenture, Amazon Web Services, AT&T, China Mobile, Dell, Deutsche Telekom, EY, Google, Huawei, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Xiaomi.
MWC Partner Programmes will again feature sessions from leading organisations, including Alibaba Cloud, Huawei, Samsung, SK Telecom, and FC Barcelona’s Barça Innovation Hub, with new participants such as MediaTek and ViaSat joining next year.
The GSMA, which represents mobile operators and technology firms worldwide, said it expects tens of thousands of attendees to return to Barcelona for what is regarded as the industry’s defining annual gathering.
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