Huawei Pushes 5G-A and AI Integration at MBBF Shanghai 2025

Huawei and global tech leaders gathered at the MBBF Top Talk Summit during MWC Shanghai 2025 to explore how artificial intelligence and next-gen 5G-Advanced (5G-A) are reshaping connectivity and transforming industries.

The event drew 150 prominent figures, including telecom executives, AI researchers, and academic leaders, who shared insights on the growing overlap between AI and information and communications technology (ICT).

David Wang, Huawei’s Executive Director of the Board, opened the summit with a clear message: mobile AI is redefining the role of mobile devices and networks. He outlined three key trends:

• Phones are becoming platforms for AI agents that enhance both personal and professional tasks.
• The fusion of AI with IoT is turning devices into gateways for intelligent interactions.
• AI is now embedded into networks, driving efficiency in spectrum use, energy consumption, and operations.

Wang emphasized that tapping into 5G-A’s full capabilities will require collaboration across five areas: expanding uplink bandwidth, building robust device ecosystems, enabling multimodal AI services, developing versatile IoT applications, and exploring flexible business models.

Industries are already seeing the benefits of combining 5G-A with AI. In manufacturing, 5G-A’s speed and low latency enable real-time decision-making through embodied AI systems, streamlining production and reducing risk. Leju Robot CEO Chang Lin noted that robots will need more than stable connections—they must communicate intelligently and collaboratively.

In logistics, wide 5G-A coverage and AI-powered route optimization are cutting costs and improving delivery timelines. AI-integrated smart devices are key to boosting efficiency and lowering operational expenses.

For 5G-A to meet growing demands, it must evolve from a basic connection tool into a real-time platform for billions of AI-enabled devices. This shift requires rethinking network design and operations from the ground up.

Li Peng, Huawei’s Senior Vice President and head of ICT sales and services, closed the event by highlighting how 5G-A will help telecom providers shift from selling data to offering guaranteed, premium experiences. He said the technology will allow carriers to deliver customized, stable connectivity to individuals, households, and industries—whether stationary or mobile.

To support this shift, Li called for AI-first network standards that can guide the development of 5G-A infrastructure capable of deterministic access and dynamic scheduling between devices, edge servers, and the cloud.

As commercial adoption of 5G-A accelerates, Huawei is working with global partners to use AI to modernize telecom services and unlock new sources of revenue in an increasingly connected world.