Conferences, trade fairs, and exhibitions are regular occurrences in all sectors of the economy. Technology is no exception -- and one of the tech industry’s leading annual events is the Mobile World Congress or MWC.
What is the Mobile World Congress (MWC)?
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event. It’s also the biggest mobile event of the year, usually witnessing the launch of many of the industry’s top smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets.
MWC attracts both industry players and the buying public. For companies, the event can be the catalyst for multi-million dollar deals and mergers. This applies to organizations ranging from the biggest names in global mobile technology to the latest startups. The Mobile World Congress can also be the setting for consumers to discover mouthwatering new gadgets, processes, and techniques.
How Did It All Start?
Mobile World Congress is actually older than the World Wide Web. The show itself was launched in 1987 as the GSM World Congress, under the flag of the GSM Association, a collection of mobile operators and manufacturers who got together in 1982 to promote the GSM standard.
In later years, when mobile users switched to faster 3G networks, the confab became known as the 3GSM World Congress. However, realizing that advances in mobile technology would likely prompt frequent name changes, the event eventually adopted its permanent name of Mobile World Congress.
Up to 2006, MWC took place each year in Cannes, France. However, it is now held at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain.
How MWC Has Adapted to the Times
The Mobile World Congress is notable for keeping its finger on the pulse of the latest developments in mobile tech. However, the event itself has not been immune from developments in the larger world.
Notably, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 MWC was canceled due to health concerns. With most of Europe experiencing a significant drop in COVID cases during the early summer months of 2021, the Mobile World Congress was postponed until the period between June 28 and July 1, 2021.
As the world transitions to a state where the pandemic and its effects become an accepted backdrop to normal activity, the mobile industry event now typically takes place in late February or early March. Since 2021, MWC has also featured a significant proportion of virtual elements to compensate for the logistical challenges of convening physically.
What to Expect from MWC 2023
This year, the Mobile World Congress is scheduled to hold at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, between 27 February and 2 March, 2023.
Over 80,000 attendees are expected to come, over half of whom are Directors or higher-level officials from major technology companies and smaller-scale startups. Over 2,000 exhibitors will have products and services on show, representing over 200 countries and territories. Attendees will be able to hear from the industry’s most knowledgeable speakers or participate in debates about the hottest topics in tech.
Anticipated product launchers for consumers may include the launch of the Xiaomi 13S Ultra or the Xiaomi 13 Pro -- a flagship Snapdragon-powered phone with a Leica camera. Elsewhere, Honor will launch the Honor Magic 5 series and give the Honor Magic Vs a global launch.
Outside the consumer sector, MWC 2023 will draw in many industry heavyweights to talk about the future of mobile, 5G networks, mobile hardware, VR, and other associated technologies.
One of the hot topics is expected to be the Metaverse -- the emerging iteration of the Internet that allows people from all over the world to interact with each other. The decentralized business infrastructure required for the Metaverse will be based on low latency 5G connectivity and edge clouds that process data using Artificial Intelligence.
FusionLayer provides patented Network Source of Truth and IP addressing solutions that lay out the IP connectivity bedrock for network functions, intelligent devices, and business applications that leverage the edge clouds. Already in production in some of the world's most sophisticated 5G vRANs, the cloud-native FusionLayer systems are available in both virtualized and containerized form factors.
FusionLayer will be attending MWC 2023. To learn more about what we offer, hook up with us at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Finland Pavillion Hall 7, Stand G41. Book a meeting with a member of our team!
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