IITP publishes MWC 2026 technical review

Attendees visit booths at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, March 4. EPA-Yonhap

The Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), the policy-planning arm of the Ministry of Science and ICT, has published its technical review report on MWC 2026, held from March 2 to 5 in Barcelona, Spain.

In the report, published Monday, the institute said MWC 2026 highlighted eight key technology trends and major implications. Among them, IITP identified the full-scale emergence of artificial intelligence (AI)-native networks as the most notable trend.

AI-native networks are communication systems designed with AI as a core function from the outset, rather than adding AI capabilities to existing systems, enabling the network to autonomously optimize itself, fix errors and adjust performance in real time.

The report noted that global telecommunications companies have begun deploying AI-driven autonomous networks in real-world environments, embedding AI across end-to-end networks through agentic AI-based intelligent operating systems.

Huawei presented its AI-Centric Network strategy, focusing on AI-driven service assurance, agent-based decision-making, collaboration and execution, as well as the advancement of Level 4 (L4) autonomous networks.

Ericsson outlined the evolution toward L4 autonomous networks based on AI-powered automation, emphasizing the role of operational platforms and application-layer enhancements.

Samsung also showcased its CognitiV NOS-based AI network operations platform, which analyzes aggregated data to identify network congestion, instability and areas requiring additional infrastructure, while also enabling automated adjustment and optimization in some cases.

“Going forward, competition in the network sector is expected to shift beyond coverage or hardware performance, moving toward the scope of AI agent deployment, real-time control of service quality and the capabilities of AI-driven autonomous network operations,” the report said.

IITP also noted that the innovation of AI-Radio Access Network in base station functions and the changing role of smartphones as an agentic AI device were key trends at MWC 2026.

It also said that the rise of Chinese companies, the commercialization of 6G, telecom operators’ strategies toward monetization, growing competition in AI glasses and the emergence of satellite communications were also noteworthy.

The report said those trends imply that competition over 6G is about proactive response at the current 5G stage. It added that the focus of competition in the telecommunications and network sector has shifted from hardware performance to how intelligently networks are operated, stressing the need for Korea to secure an AI infrastructure strategy and build a related ecosystem.

“MWC 2026 showed that the future will be led not by countries that connect more, but by those that connect more intelligently,” IITP President Hong Jin-bae said. “IITP will strive to strengthen the competitiveness of domestic industries and lead the global market with a full-stack strategy centered on AI networks, as Korea seeks to emerge as a leading AI powerhouse.”