GSMA MWC26 Shanghai Wraps Up as the AI Economy and 6G Innovation Delight Attendees from Around the World

Attendees from 143 countries and territories joined ~300 speakers and 400+ sponsors, exhibitors, and partners at the SNIEC to explore the future of connectivity in the AI era

SHANGHAI, June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MWC26 Shanghai has concluded with 37,300 attendees for three days of conference and exhibition focused on the AI economy, 6G innovation and more. International attendance at MWC Shanghai increased 33% year over year, with onsite attendees representing 143 countries and territories.

This year’s keynotes, summits and exhibition floor were dominated by connectivity-enabled innovation: from AI to 6G, robotics and satellite networks. Attendees were given a front-row view of the technologies reshaping China, Asia and the global mobile industry as it continues to deploy AI use-cases and steps into the AI token economy.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., said: “MWC26 Shanghai has confirmed to me that our industry is undergoing a fundamental shift. 5G and 5G-Advanced are the foundational layer of the AI stack. They provide the capacity, latency, and reliability that increasingly demanding systems and services depend on. This week we’ve seen how it’s fuelling new ideas across industry verticals, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and the low altitude economy. Thank you to everyone that joined us. It’s been a phenomenal week of collaboration with key players from around the world and a dynamic showcase of real-world innovation.”

MWC26 Shanghai in numbers:

• 37,300 attendees from 143 countries and territories, marking a 33% increase year over year.
• 35% of attendees at director level and above, of which 36% are from the C-suite.
• 33% of attendees represented industries beyond mobile.
• 400+ exhibitors, sponsors and partners.
• ~300 speakers and thought leaders. Across MWC conferences and summits, 40% were international speakers, 40% from sectors outside the core mobile ecosystem, 40% C-Level.
• 39 delegations representing 35 countries and territories across Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa, and 4 intergovernmental organisations participated in the GSMA Policy Leaders Forum.
• ~700 international media outlets and industry analysts covering the event.
• ~1 million views of the keynotes and Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge across the MWC Shanghai website, socials and media partners’ platforms.

The next events on this year’s MWC and M360 series calendar are M360 ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur on 9-10 September 2026 and MWC26 Doha in Qatar on 8-10 November 2026.

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