5G-A and AI fostering the intelligent connectivity
Manama, Bahrain: At the Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF) Top Talk Summit held during MWC Shanghai 2025, 150 guests, including top-tier executives from leading telecommunications firms, AI innovators, and academic pioneers, gathered to explore the huge opportunities emerging from the deep convergence of ICT and AI industries.
David Wang, Huawei's Executive Director of the Board, opened the event by saying, "The rapid adoption of mobile AI is bringing new vitality to the mobile industry in three brand-new ways. First, mobile devices are no longer just about apps, as they begin to host AI agents that will improve every aspect of our life and work. Second, AI's deep convergence with IoT is making AI-IoT a new portal to the intelligent world. Third, AI is now powering networks. Previously, we mainly focused on O&M efficiency when it came to network management. But today, AI is allowing us to maximize spectrum, energy, and O&M efficiency at the same time."
He went on to call on the entire industry to pursue shared success in the mobile AI era by unlocking the potential of 5G-Advanced (5G-A). To this end, Huawei and other industry stakeholders are already working together on five areas that can act as levers to drive 5G-A growth, including large uplink bandwidth, rich device ecosystems, multimodal intelligent services, all-scenario IoT capabilities, and diverse business models.
Cross-Sector Tech Symbiosis: Redefining Omni-Scenario Innovation
The deepening convergence of 5G-A and AI is profoundly transforming industries.
In manufacturing sectors, 5G-A's low latency and high bandwidth are critical enablers for high-precision sensing and decision-making based on embodied AI. Powered by 5G-A networks, embodied AI can collect and process vast amounts of data in real time to complete the 'sensing > decision > execution' cycle, minimizing production risks while maximizing efficiency.
In the supply chain industry, 5G-A's wide coverage and AI-assisted route planning can collectively boost efficiency and slash costs. For instance, smart logistics based on 5G-A and AI-empowered-devices stands for more efficient route planning, which translates into greater distribution timeliness and lower OPEX.
Technologically, 5G-A must evolve beyond its conventional role as a connectivity pipe to function as an experience platform capable of supporting real-time interaction among billions of active mobile AI agents. 5G-A advancement transcends mere technological improvements, requiring fundamental reinvention of network infrastructure and operational paradigms.
From a commercial perspective, premium experiences are driving 5G-A monetization. 5G-A's ability to deliver flawless experiences for low-latency and high-bandwidth applications (like cloud gaming and multi-view immersive sports streaming) is also creating more user-friendly payment patterns. This experience-first approach is establishing business growth opportunities as consumers demonstrate increased willingness to pay for quality-of-service guarantees.
Li Peng, Huawei's Corporate Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, wrapped up the event with closing remarks. "5G-A will deliver much stronger capabilities", said Li. "It will equip carriers to provide a guaranteed network experience across multiple factors. 5G-A will spur innovative new business models, and help carriers expand beyond traffic to begin monetizing experience itself."
Li went on to explain how carriers are using AI agents to help drive AI adoption while delivering a targeted, guaranteed experience for a wide range of users, including individuals, homes, and industries – as well as people on the go. "This transformation will help carriers truly elevate their brand, create new value, and better monetize experience. To get there, we need to develop new AI-centric network construction standards to guide the ongoing evolution of infrastructure. This will be crucial for developing wide-area lossless 5G-A networks that support deterministic access, elastic scheduling, and on-demand, reliable connections between the cloud, edge, and devices."
MWC Shanghai 2025 took place from June 18 to June 20 in Shanghai, China. During the event, Huawei showcased its latest products and solutions in Hall N1 of the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).
The commercial adoption of 5G-Advanced is accelerating in 2025. Huawei collaborates with global carriers, industry experts, and opinion leaders to explore how innovations in AI can be used to reshape telecom services, infrastructure, and operations to generate new revenue sources and accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world.
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