MWC26 Day 2 Recap
Today we shifted our focus to security and, as expected, much of the discussion led back to AI. Sovereignty again featured heavily, emerging as the clear secondary, more grounded theme of the event. We also touched on post-quantum security, a topic gradually gaining prominence beneath AI’s shadow. And we listened directly to several sessions focused squarely on AI to understand where thinking is heading.
Some takeaways from today:
AI
As with yesterday’s discussion on 6G, ‘AI-native’ was mentioned repeatedly, though with little clarity on what it means in practice. Operators want to move further up the value chain, but the sessions we attended were light on how this would actually work.
So far, AI has largely been applied to obvious areas such as call centres. But several speakers argued this misses the point. The real ambition is to prevent the need for the call centre altogether. That is a compelling goal; how to reach it remains unclear.
Data was another key theme. AI success depends entirely on data quality, structured knowledge bases, and disciplined data management. This foundational requirement is often overlooked in favour of end-state visions. It was encouraging to hear some operators emphasise its importance.
Many AI initiatives were described as having an internal focus: improving internal operations. The broader ambition is to deliver AI-driven value to enterprise customers. There was agreement on the need, but limited detail on practical, scalable use cases.
As noted yesterday, there is growing recognition that AI will need to move closer to the edge, even onto devices themselves. Significant challenges remain, but the potential benefits justify the effort.
Finally, mindset and culture emerged as critical factors. Operators are pursuing AI opportunities, but extracting value will require cultural change. Telecoms organisations are naturally cautious. AI-driven environments demand greater comfort with automated decisions and action, a notable shift from today’s process-heavy, approval-led structures.
Security and Resilience
Security discussions again centred largely on AI: anomaly detection, fraud identification, automated threat response. Nothing especially new, but a logical application of the technology.
Beyond that, there was little that felt fundamentally new in the core security space. One recurring theme, however, was resilience. Operators increasingly see resilience as central to future network design. This includes diversification of network types. Satellite networks, for example, are not necessarily a threat, but another component in a broader resilience strategy.
This aligns closely with the parallel theme of sovereignty. Together, they point to more deliberate thinking around diversity of architecture, security by design, and control over where services are located, all in pursuit of stronger resilience and operational control.
Post-Quantum Cryptography
Related to security was a strong presentation on post-quantum cryptography from Michele Mosca of the University of Waterloo. Cryptography underpins operational resilience and enables most of the digital services the world relies on today. Quantum computing poses a credible threat to this foundation.
The key insight was uncertainty. We do not know when quantum will become a practical threat – estimates range from five to thirty years. But the timing is less important than preparedness. Whenever it arrives, the world needs to be ready, and that clearly includes telecoms.
The proposed approach centres on diversity, agility, and defence in depth. Delaying action increases exposure and risk. Given the potential impact, it demands serious attention.
Its growing prominence at MWC suggests that it is, at least, being taken seriously.
Day 3 Watchlist
Tomorrow our focus will be Open Gateway and APIs. We’ll also be watching developments around eSIMs and MVNOs, and we’ll give you a heads up on anything else unexpected that emerges.
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