The Perfect MWC: Less focus on the latest devices and more on the future of the mobile industry

10 Mar 2020 - NEW YORK, USA: The perfect Mobile World Congress would focus less on the latest devices and more on the future of the mobile industry; it would be more of a collaborative forum where the entire mobile ecosystem comes together to define the state of the industry and identify what really needs to be done in order to move markets, solutions, and outcomes forward, states the MWC veteran analysts from global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

In its new whitepaper, The Perfect Mobile World Congress: 13 Visions for the Ideal Mobile Trade Show, ABI Research highlights that while MWC 2020 was a missed show, it’s not a missed opportunity. The cancellation was unavoidable, but “this pause may prove to be just what the mobile community needs: a chance to reflect, reengage, and, ultimately, reorient to most effectively chart the future of the industry,” explains Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research.

The Perfect Mobile World Congress visions from ABI Research’s analysts:

“Traditionally, most MWC events are inundated by noise-generating, but not revolutionary, announcements. This annual game of one-upmanship largely detracts from the meaningful discussions, dialogs, and negotiations that should be happening at the perfect MWC to build consensus around how to shape the future of the industry,” Carlaw propounds.

AI & Machine Learning: “The perfect MWC would have all telcos presenting at the event fully realize and embrace the importance of 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The deployment of 5G already brings AI to radio access networks and backhaul optimization. Telcos will need to speed up their adoption curve by integrating AI into service-based architecture and utilize AI in various domains, such as customer service, inventory management, and network service orchestration,” offers Lian Jye Su, AI Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

5G and Mobile Network Infrastructure: “The perfect MWC would put the challenges facing the mobile telco domain in a market that is currently experiencing 5G deployments and mass market adoption of this new generation, including geopolitics, a declining economic environment, increased pressure on infrastructure vendors, and a transition to more open networks. An ideal MWC would have a forum to discuss all these aspects and become the central arena to move the industry forward,” advises Dimitris Mavrakis, 5G Research Director at ABI Research.

5G Markets: “The perfect MWC would have the telco market come together to identify and pursue SME requirements and create the platforms, services, and applications to cater to them. This may not mean doing everything alone, but to collaborate with the web domain to address this challenging market segment,” proposes Leo Gergs, 5G Analyst at ABI Research.

5G Devices, Smartphones & Wearables: “The perfect MWC would offer real insight into more collaboration in 5G. Indeed, a welcome prospect, with major vendors (yes, including perennial shunner Apple!) and component suppliers working closely with global carrier partners to create differentiated offerings taking 5G far away from the concept of being just another ‘G’,” advocates David McQueen, 5G Devices Research Director at ABI Research.

Digital Security: “The perfect MWC would have significantly more coverage of more cybersecurity-related issues. This is especially critical for any IoT-adjacent services, and with each IoT vertical holding its own unique security requirements (e.g., industrial, critical infrastructure, smart cities, etc.),” envisions Michela Menting, Cybersecurity Research Director at ABI Research.

“One thing is for certain; the mobile industry is not learning lessons fast enough and is not answering the right questions at the right time. The cancellation of MWC 2020 might seem a disaster, but the future is bleaker if the industry doesn’t pause, take some time to reflect, and radically retool its approach to be a fit-for-purpose entity, Carlaw sums up.

For even more visons of The Perfect MWC, download the whitepaper here