On October 30, 2024, the Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024) commenced in Istanbul, Türkiye, under the theme "5.5G Leads the Mobile AI Era." The event drew over 1,000 participants from mobile network carriers and industry ecosystems, as well as leaders across various sectors, and explored the latest innovative business models, industry growth, and critical technological paths forward in the age of Mobile AI.
The forum was designed to propel the convergence of 5.5G and intelligent applications forward, creating new value across the mobile sector. Setting the stage with enticing opening remarks, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, Ken Hu, said, "In the future, AI will change everything; everyone will be able to use it anytime and anywhere. Mobile networks and devices will play an important role in making that happen, just like what we have done to enable telephones and mobile internet as a universal service.”
The year 2024 has marked a pivotal point within the telecommunications industry, with the commercial rollout of 5.5G coinciding with the unprecedented expansion of AI into daily life and work. Over three million AI-enabled applications have been developed worldwide—outnumbering all traditional non-AI apps on the market. The early deployment of 5.5G technology, combined with the initial integration of AI across various devices, marks a pivotal shift, ushering in the beginning of the Mobile AI era.
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Li Peng: Huawei’s Vision for an AI-Driven Future in Telecom
In his keynote at MBBF, Li Peng, Huawei's Corporate Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, presented an optimistic outlook regarding the transformative growth that the Mobile AI era promises for the telecommunications industry. Li emphasized that “intelligence will become a universal service,” making it accessible to everyone, anytime, and anywhere. As AI increasingly integrates into our daily lives, the industry must adapt by reshaping networks, infrastructure, and business models to meet these changing demands.
Li foresees that AI will catalyze a fundamental shift in how people interact with devices. He predicts a rise in voice, gesture, and even emotion-based interactions. By 2028, global AI smartphone shipments are expected to exceed 900 million, and more than 1,000 AI-native devices will be available. This surge in intelligent devices will significantly enhance productivity and bring a new level of personalization to everyday technology use.
Additionally, AI-driven data usage will redefine traffic models, transforming traditional data flows into multidirectional and mesh connections between the edge, cloud, and end devices. “New surges in data from AI will drive structural changes in traffic models,” Li noted, underscoring the critical importance of network optimization to support these changes, including increased bandwidth and lower latency.
He highlighted four core areas the industry will reshape. Firstly, he addressed network services, pointing out that AI demands faster, more responsive services. As an example, he cited China’s 5G New Calling service, which allows users to create digital avatars, use real-time translation, and leverage AI assistants to make appointments. Over 24 million Chinese users are already utilizing these advancements, demonstrating that the demand for intelligent, personalized services is significant.
Next, he discussed the need to revamp infrastructure to support real-time AI interactions with end-to-end latency of less than 300 milliseconds, emphasizing the need for networks that can dynamically manage traffic and maintain consistent, reliable connections across cloud and devices.
On the operations and maintenance front, Li suggested that AI can streamline complex network management. AI agents and copilots can simulate network operations, automate planning, and assist field engineers in real time, enhancing both efficiency and reliability.
Finally, he spoke about how AI can open doors to new business models, encouraging carriers to consider monetization strategies centered on AI, such as VIP services and speed-based mobile plans. Given that consumers are willing to pay more for high-quality network experiences, Li noted that carriers in Europe and China are already exploring these options, responding to the growing demand for premium services.
Peng closed by urging the industry to prepare its networks for AI through two primary actions: enhancing network capabilities (particularly in uplink, latency, and capacity) and using AI to optimize network performance and efficiency.
“The best time to act is now,” he concluded, positioning Huawei as a capable partner well equipped to aid carriers in building networks that support this emerging era of AI-driven innovation.
His message was clear: the Mobile AI era brings unparalleled opportunities, and by evolving network infrastructure, operations, and services, carriers can lead this transformation and unlock new value across the board.
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Huawei's Immersive Mobile AI and 5.5G Showcase
The event featured immersive boutique exhibitions, offering glimpses into new intelligent connectivity for people, homes, industries, vehicles, and IoT. Across both indoor booths and outdoor spaces, cutting-edge Mobile AI applications and multimodal AI devices have taken center stage, including AI phones, AI glasses, intelligent cockpits, humanoid robots, AI-generated content (AIGC), digital human interaction, and AI-powered real-time call translation.
This diverse display is powered by Huawei's collaboration with industry operators and partners. Moreover, continuous 5.5G coverage across the forum’s indoor and outdoor areas demonstrated the robust, multidimensional capabilities of 5.5G networks.
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