When Mobile World Congress arrived in Barcelona 20 years ago, the industry was defined by feature phones, SMS, and early 3G networks. Since then, the congress and global TMT ecosystem have transformed and are now entering the IQ Era, where telcos at the forefront of the gen AI movement are set to capture a significant share of nearly $100 billion in value, in addition to the up to $180 billion in productivity gains that traditional AI can unlock.
While AI, networks, and digital platforms remain central, it’s clear that the priorities, pace, and approach of transformation differ sharply by region. We spoke with three McKinsey leaders about what that means in practice.
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Asia: Rewiring entire businesses with AI
Across Asia, telecom and tech leaders are using AI-led transformation to drive growth and rewire full domains such as marketing, networks, and operations.
“In Asia, the big story in AI transformation is growth,” says Tarang Agarwal, a McKinsey partner based in Singapore. “Unlike other regions where the focus is often on operational efficiency, here AI is being anchored first on revenue, through hyper-personalization, smarter sales execution, and making AI a real strategic differentiator for customers. That’s why we’re seeing a shift away from isolated use cases toward full domain transformations designed to move core business outcomes.”
The congress will be a key moment to see how these shifts play out.
“At MWC this year, I’m most eager to see how companies are bringing AI to the customer, moving beyond backend experimentation to deliver meaningful experiences, manage risk, and unlock value at scale,” says Tarang. “I’m also excited to see how organizations are beginning to use external data to generate entirely new insights and shape the next wave of growth.”
McKinsey at MWC
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The Middle East: Building an innovation engine
In the Middle East, telecommunications companies are combining continued core telco growth with an ambitious push into adjacent technology areas, such as consumer digital platforms, fintech, and enterprise solutions.
“Telcos remain a growth engine, and many are using that momentum to become techcos,” says Eefke Post, a McKinsey partner based in Dubai. “Operators are carving out, scaling, and acquiring digital businesses.”
At the same time, GCC nations are investing heavily in AI-ready infrastructure, deploying sovereign capital into data centers, compute capacity, and technology platforms—often in partnership with global players. In parallel, governments are strengthening the talent pipeline: the UAE has introduced AI as a mandatory subject in public schools from kindergarten through Grade 12. Together, these moves are positioning the region not just as an adopter of AI, but as a builder of foundational capabilities that attract hyperscalers and global tech leaders.
“MWC 2026 feels like a turning point,” says Eefke. “After years of shaping the telco-to-techco journey, I’m excited to see how operators use this evolution to remain relevant in their customers’ lives. The same is true for AI: the question has shifted from who is using AI to who is creating impact with AI.”
North America: Scaling from experimentation to impact
Across North America, many organizations have moved beyond AI adoption, shifting the focus from experimentation to where AI delivers real value. While enthusiasm remains high, there is growing recognition that impact does not come easily, or quickly.
“We’re seeing a real reset in expectations,” says Guilherme Cruz, a McKinsey partner based in New York. “AI is no longer just about experimentation; it’s about translating new capabilities into tangible value, whether that’s in customer care, marketing, networks, or capital planning.”
Many of the most scalable use cases rely on a combination of generative or agentic AI and traditional machine learning, rather than on generative AI alone. Automated customer interactions, AI-enabled workforce routing, personalized marketing, and smarter network investment decisions are increasingly moving from pilots into production.
“I’m excited to hear real success stories: what’s working, what isn’t, and why,” says Guilherme. “MWC is where leaders move beyond the hype and start sharing what it actually takes to scale AI across domains and deliver lasting impact.”
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