Inside MWC 2025: What We Saw, Heard, and Learned

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MWC 2025 was intense. The sheer number of announcements, the pace of discussions, and the level of innovation made it clear: telecom is in the middle of a transformation. 

For XME.digital, it was a big moment. Our delegates introduced the enterprise integration middleware platform and Stella#5, a self-service builder for connectivity providers. It was a valuable opportunity to engage with businesses and gain insights from industry leaders over four days.Here's what's discovered: 

• Operators are under pressure to automate, simplify, and monetize in new ways. 

• AI-driven networks, satellite-backed 5G, Open RAN, cloud-native infrastructure — it's all happening, but the question is how to implement it without breaking what's already in place. 

• Quantum computing development has become a new cybersecurity threat, and companies are looking for solutions. 

Read on to discover what other things can change your business approaches in 2025.

AI-Driven Networks & Automation

Telecom reaches a turning point where AI-driven networks are the core of modern infrastructure. Operators and vendors are moving beyond AI-assisted operations to fully autonomous networks that optimize and heal in real time.

Recently announced Huawei’s AI Core Network is a prime example, designed to continuously improve itself without human intervention. Meanwhile, a collaboration between Jio, Cisco, Nokia, and AMD is bringing AI across all network layers with an Open Telecom AI Platform, ensuring smarter, more adaptive infrastructure and better automation.

“By harnessing agentic AI across all telco layers, we are building a multimodal, multidomain orchestrated workflow platform that redefines efficiency, intelligence and security for the telecom industry.” 

Mathew Oommen, CEO of Jio

What’s striking is how fast this transformation is happening. For instance, network slicing, which used to take days, can now be completed in minutes, allowing operators to launch new services much faster. 

This time, at MWC 2025, telecom leaders demonstrated a clear vision on how they will use AI to change customer experience, predict issues before they happen, personalize services, and make networks more intuitive. AI is becoming the brain of telecom networks. The challenge now is ensuring that automation makes networks faster, more resilient, adaptable, and secure. 

5G Advanced and Early 6G Developments

Currently, 5G-Advanced is the bridge to 6G, and research is progressing. But one thing is certain — AI will be at the core of both.

Qualcomm's new Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) platform was a highlight, bringing 12+ Gbps speeds and AI-powered edge processing. It sets the stage for more efficient, intelligent connectivity that telecoms can monetize today.

Meanwhile, 6G discussions were more concrete than before, even if we're still years away from real deployments. One of the most interesting demos came from Nokia and NTT DOCOMO, who showcased an in-network computing platform that significantly boosts AI processing — accuracy jumped from 57% to 90% in a test. 

Open RAN & Cloud-Native Networks

The telecom industry moves beyond proprietary, closed systems. Open RAN and Cloud-Native Networks reach real-world deployments, proving that software-driven, multi-vendor architectures scale effectively.

• Viettel launches a commercial 5G Open RAN network in Vietnam, using Qualcomm’s massive MIMO platform.

• Nokia deploys Open RAN across 3,000+ Deutsche Telekom sites in Germany, making it one of the largest Open RAN rollouts.

• Telefónica runs a 5G Standalone call on AWS cloud, using Nokia’s RAN functions, demonstrating how mobile networks operate entirely in the cloud.

At the same time, telecom operators make their networks accessible to developers. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative is a global effort to create standardized telecom APIs, allowing businesses to integrate network functions without dealing with operator-specific customizations.

Right now, services like fraud detection, authentication, carrier billing, and location tracking require separate integrations for each carrier, making deployment slow and costly. GSMA Open Gateway solves this by providing a single, universal set of APIs that work across multiple networks, just like cloud platforms standardize APIs for payments and identity verification.

The shift toward open, cloud-native, and API-driven networks happens now. Operators build flexible, programmable networks that support new services, industries, and business models.

Convergence of Telecom and Cloud

Telecom networks turn into intelligent, cloud-powered platforms. One of the most apparent trends now is the deep integration of telecom and cloud infrastructure, with operators embedding AI, automation, and cloud computing into their core operations. Companies strive to benefit from cloud-scale efficiency, AI-driven decision-making, and flexible network architectures to improve performance and expand revenue streams.  

• Telefónica runs RAN functions on AWS, showing that the public cloud can handle carrier-grade workloads.

• Google Cloud's AI improves Bell Canada's network operations, reducing customer issues by 25% and increasing software deployment speed by 75%.

• Deutsche Telekom adopts Google's Gemini AI for "RAN Guardian", automating fault detection and network optimization.

• AWS introduces specialized Outposts hardware designed for high-throughput, low-latency telecom workloads.

These experiments signal a fundamental shift in how telecom networks operate. AI and cloud-native architectures replace manual processes, optimize performance, and cut costs. 

Non-Terrestrial Networks

Satellite connectivity took a major step forward, proving its role in expanding 5G coverage beyond terrestrial limits. Instead of being a separate system, satellite and mobile networks are now integrating, allowing seamless connectivity when users move outside traditional coverage areas.

Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Thales Alenia Space conducted a successful 5G call over a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, proving that standard smartphones can switch to satellite when no cell towers are available.

Globalstar committed $2 billion to expand its LEO satellite network, targeting direct-to-device 5G and IoT connectivity in areas where traditional infrastructure is impractical.

Qualcomm confirmed that its future 5G chipsets will support Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), signaling that satellite connectivity will be built into mainstream consumer and enterprise devices.

Business efforts in this area show that  satellite-backed 5G becomes a built-in layer of the global telecom ecosystem. NTN ensures that devices in remote, offshore, or disaster-prone areas can maintain continuous, reliable connectivity, closing critical gaps in mobile coverage.

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) was a key topic at MWC 2025, and for good reason. The U.S. DNI Cybersecurity Report confirmed that security threats are growing, and “Q-Day” — the moment when quantum computers can break today’s encryption — is expected within this decade. Some organizations are already collecting encrypted data, planning to decrypt it later when quantum technology catches up.

The challenge is that most of our current networks, devices, and infrastructure aren’t designed to handle quantum-safe encryption. Telecom networks rely on millions of legacy nodes, and replacing or upgrading them takes time. Even if we start now, full readiness won’t be immediate, and systems will need to adapt continuously as quantum technology advances.

In August 2024, NIST released the first post-quantum cryptographic standards, selecting new encryption algorithms that can resist quantum attacks. More are under review, covering different security needs. However, these new algorithms require more computing power, meaning that integrating them into existing infrastructure won’t be simple.

Telecom companies are already testing solutions:

• Network vendors like Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei are working on quantum-safe VPNs and security layers.

• Cloud providers like Google Cloud and AWS are preparing quantum-resistant encryption for telecom networks.

• Hybrid encryption, where both classical and post-quantum methods are used together, is emerging as a transition strategy.

  
  

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ 5G-Advanced integrates AI to optimize networks, while 6G research focuses on real-time AI processing and integrated sensing. Operators use AI-driven automation to enhance efficiency, reduce latency, and prepare for the next generation of connectivity.

2️⃣ Open RAN is proving its scalability. Large-scale deployments show multi-vendor networks can work, giving operators more flexibility and cost control.

3️⃣ Satellite-backed 5G is becoming mainstream. Smartphones can now connect to satellites, ensuring coverage in remote areas without additional hardware.

4️⃣ Post-quantum security is a growing priority. New cryptographic standards mean telecoms must start upgrading networks to resist future quantum threats.