Musings from MWC 2026

Stepping through the halls of this year’s Mobile World Congress, I felt a sense of clarity about where our industry is heading. The conversations, the demonstrations, and the energy all pointed to the same conclusion. We are entering an era shaped by intelligence at every layer of the mobile ecosystem; not as an add on, but as the core of how networks, devices, and services will operate.

As someone who has spent a career building technology that moves video across the world with precision and reliability, this moment feels both familiar and entirely new. Familiar because every major shift in our industry has been driven by a need for greater efficiency and better experiences. New because AI gives us tools that change what is possible and how fast we can deliver new features.

AI is becoming the connective tissue of mobility

What struck me most was how naturally AI has become part of the industry’s vocabulary. It was present in nearly every roadmap and every strategic discussion. The belief was shared across operators, vendors, and device makers. Intelligence will define the next generation of connectivity.

Several themes were prominent:

• AI native networks that tune themselves in real time and recover from issues before users notice.
• Intelligence that creates more personalised and responsive experiences.
• Growing momentum around edge computing as operators bring inference closer to the user.
• Control platforms that use AI to automate workflows and accelerate decision making.
  

What I saw was not an industry experimenting. It was an industry building.

The conversations that still need to deepen

Even with the optimism, a few topics deserved more attention, highlighting areas where the next wave of progress will come from.

• Economic models that show how AI enhanced networks scale sustainably.
• Clearer timelines for turning promising pilots into production systems.
• Stronger approaches to data governance as intelligence becomes more distributed.
• A sharper focus on video, which remains the dominant source of mobile traffic.
  
  

Why AI matters for video delivery

From the vantage point of Velocix, the direction is encouraging. Video is the most demanding workload on mobile networks. It is also the most valuable. When AI improves video delivery, it improves the economics of the entire network.

The opportunities for operators are tangible:

• Smarter, more efficient caching that places content exactly where it will be needed.
• Adaptive encoding that responds to changing network conditions in real time.
• Quality intelligence that links user experience to network behaviour with far greater accuracy.
• Traffic steering that enables data to traverse multiple CDNs with more precision and control.
• Smarter origin storage and delivery that reduces cost while improving reliability.

These are more than conceptual ideas. AI offers practical solutions that enable us build more efficient networks today that can deliver services that are more personal than ever before.

Video as the proving ground for the AI era

Video exposes every strength and every weakness in a network. It demands consistency, resilience, and speed. If AI can elevate video delivery, it can elevate everything that runs on top of mobile infrastructure.

This is why I see this moment as a turning point. AI is not only reshaping networks. It is creating the conditions for new video first services that operators can build, differentiate, and monetise. It is opening the door to experiences that feel more immediate and more tailored to each viewer.

A future shaped by intelligence and experience

The industry is moving toward a future where networks respond instantly, services adapt to each user, and operators can deliver more value with greater efficiency. The most meaningful opportunities will emerge where AI meets video, where intelligence directly improves performance and reduces cost while simultaneously raising the standard of experience for consumers.

As we look ahead, I am curious which areas of AI driven video innovation you see as most urgent for operators to prioritise next. Drop us a line and let's have a conversation on what's next in content delivery.

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