Barcelona: TECHz – News Desk
Day One declared the era. Day Two raised the stakes. Day Three made things real.
Wednesday at Fira Gran Via felt different. The buzz of opening day and the density of Tuesday’s announcements gave way to something more focused: a show floor in full stride, session rooms packed with practitioners, and a string of partnerships and technical demonstrations that moved the conversation from strategy to substance. If this week has a through-line, it is that intelligent infrastructure is no longer a future ambition. It is being built now, tested now, and deployed now – including, crucially, across Africa.
TechAfrica News was back on the ground at Fira Gran Via, continuing our coverage as an official media partner of MWC Barcelona 2026.
Keynotes and Sessions – Blueprints, 5G Money, and the Power Behind the AI Era:
The centrepiece of Day Three’s programme was Keynote 10: Blueprints for the Intelligent Future, held on the MWC Main Stage. Justin Hotard, President and CEO of Nokia, took the stage alongside analyst and author Benedict Evans for a session that surveyed the macro shifts reshaping mobile networks, from AI-native architecture to the next generation of immersive, personalised services. Nokia’s presence at MWC this year has been anchored around a clear message: the era of high-performance, AI-ready connectivity is not coming, it is here, and operators who build for it now will define what the next decade looks like.
The Data, Compute, Energy – The Power Equation of the AI Era session on the Turing Stage added a dimension that often gets overlooked in the excitement around AI: The infrastructure cost of running it. Featuring Jessica Payne of The Raine Group, Hieu Le-Quang – CIO of Viettel Networks, and Chris Bergey – EVP Edge AI at ARM Ltd., the session examined how AI-specific chips, efficiency-focused models, and smarter cooling systems can help telcos turn energy constraints into competitive advantage rather than a ceiling.
Rounding out the day’s sessions, the Seeing Double: Digital Twins as the Smartest Bet for Business panel on the Turing Stage explored how AI-powered digital twin technology is maturing into a genuine enterprise tool. Speakers Subha Shrinivasan of Rakuten Symphony, Elena Fersman – VP and Head of AI Innovation at Ericsson, Leticia Latino Van Splunteren – CEO of Albireo AI, and Priya Saxena – CTO of AI and Cloud Services at Zinkworks, examined how twins are being used to simulate, monitor, and optimise physical assets and customer experiences at scale.
In the News: Africa’s AI Sovereignty, a Network Milestone, and a Partnership for the Displaced
Day Three brought a cluster of announcements with direct and significant relevance for the African technology landscape.
Smart Africa and MeetKai announced a landmark collaboration to launch a five-country pilot advancing Sovereign AI across Africa. The pilot is designed to establish national AI capabilities with sovereign control over data, models, and deployment, aligned with each country’s laws, institutions, and development priorities. The participating countries will be confirmed in the coming weeks. It is one of the most consequential AI governance moves to come out of Barcelona this week, and a direct signal that Africa intends to build its AI future on its own terms.
On the technical side, Ericsson demonstrated a 1 Terabit per second 5G Core network supporting one million concurrent subscribers, running entirely on Google Cloud. The demonstration, showcased at MWC 2026, marks one of the largest mobile core networks to achieve this level of throughput and scale in a public hyperscale environment, validating that the most demanding telecom workloads can now operate on the public cloud with high performance, elasticity, and operational efficiency.
Africa took home hardware at the GSMA GLOMO Awards. Safaricom and Huawei were awarded the GSMA GLOMO “Best FinTech and Digital Commerce Innovation” award for the Ziidi Wealth Platform – a money market fund service launched by Safaricom in 2025 that provides a low-threshold, real-time, and secure digital investment solution for low- and middle-income people in Kenya.
Worth highlighting from earlier in the week, though no less significant for the timing: MTN Group signed a multi-year MoU with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to advance meaningful connectivity and digital inclusion for refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, and host communities across MTN’s markets. More than 20 million displaced people reside in markets where MTN operates, many of them facing compounding digital barriers including lack of recognised identification, unaffordable devices and data, limited coverage, language constraints, and low digital literacy. The partnership commits MTN and UNHCR to making connectivity more affordable and accessible in refugee-hosting areas, expanding resilient infrastructure, and advancing mobile money and digital skills development. In a week of bold industry announcements, this one stands apart for its humanitarian weight.
One Day Left: What MWC 2026 Has Taught Us So Far
As MWC Barcelona 2026 moves into its final day, the picture that has emerged over three days is one of an industry in genuine transition. The IQ Era is not a slogan – it is a pressure test. The pressure to ship AI-native networks, to close the affordability gap, to govern emerging technology responsibly, and to ensure that the speed of innovation does not leave entire continents behind.
Africa’s voice at MWC this year has been louder, more specific, and more action-oriented than in previous editions. From the Sovereign AI pilot to the GSMA Handset Affordability Coalition pilots, from the MTN-UNHCR partnership to the Africa AI Council’s first in-person convening, the continent is not waiting to be included. It is showing up to shape what comes next.
Day Four / Thursday, 5 March 2026:
From Steel to Silicon: The Next Chapter for Towers
10:00 – 10:45 CET / Marconi Stage, Hall 6
Telecom towers are evolving into intelligent, sustainable hubs that integrate advanced energy systems, on-site computing, and next-generation connectivity.
Session Speakers: Tom Greenwood – Chief Executive Officer, Helios Towers plc.
CX-Factor: Can AI Truly Win the Customer’s Heart?
10:00 – 10:45 CET / Johnson Stage, Hall 6
This session highlights real-world implementations and provides practical insights on leveraging AI for both improved service and operational efficiency.
Session Speakers: Nicolai Schaettgen – CEO, Match-Maker Ventures / Vincent Pauwels – Co-founder & MX Leader, November Five / Pietro Mangione – Managing Director Networks APAC & Telco Account Director, Accenture.
Exhibitor spotlights:
NOKIA / 3B20
As networks evolve for an intelligent, data-driven world, Nokia is presenting solutions that demonstrate how high-performance connectivity and automation are shaping modern digital infrastructure. The focus is on technologies that help operators build secure, scalable, AI-ready networks for next-generation services.
From autonomous operations to programmable architectures, these solutions aim to reduce complexity while unlocking new business value. By integrating AI into network design and management, providers can strengthen performance, improve user experience, and adapt quickly to shifting demands.
At Hall 3, Stand #3B20, discover:
• High-performance secure networks built for the AI era.
• Autonomous network capabilities that streamline operations.
•Programmable architectures that unlock new revenue opportunities.
•Scalable infrastructure designed for intelligent connectivity.
MTN /4E10.D
MTN will join global industry leaders, governments, and investors at MWC Barcelona 2026 to engage on the infrastructure, policy, and partnerships shaping the next phase of digital services. Convened by GSMA, the event marks its 20th Barcelona edition and remains a key forum for advancing connectivity and digital economies worldwide.
For the first time at the event, MTN will exhibit from its own stand, creating a dedicated space for dialogue on Africa’s digital and AI readiness. The group’s participation reflects its ongoing focus on resilient networks, expanded digital and financial services, and collaborative models that extend access and strengthen inclusion across its markets.
At Hall 4, stand 4E10.D, discover:
• Perspectives on infrastructure enabling scalable AI adoption.
• Investment priorities for resilient and inclusive connectivity.
• Fintech and digital platform innovation across Africa
Partnership frameworks supporting long-term digital growth.
Led by Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, who also serves as Deputy Chair of the GSMA, MTN’s delegation will contribute to leadership discussions on responsible AI deployment, digital trust, and the systems required to support sustainable transformation in emerging markets.
AXIAN Telecom / 4E10.A
AXIAN Telecom brings a grounded, operational view of connectivity to MWC Barcelona 2026. The group operates across nine markets in Africa and the Indian Ocean, delivering mobile and fixed networks alongside digital infrastructure and mobile financial services through its subsidiaries and affiliates.
With a footprint spanning East, West, Central Africa, and island markets, AXIAN Telecom focuses on building and managing networks that respond to local market needs while supporting long-term digital growth. Its presence at MWC highlights practical approaches to network operations, infrastructure development, and service delivery across diverse environments.
At Hall 4, Stand 4E10.A, discover:
• Mobile and fixed network operations across multiple African markets.
• Digital infrastructure supporting regional connectivity.
• Mobile financial services integrated into telecom ecosystems.
• Operational insights from a multi-market pan-African operator.
