AI and 5.5G connectivity were the headlining topics at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2025 and, as expected, the world’s largest tech companies were at hand to demonstrate how these technologies are progressing in devices, telecom networks and datacenters, among other things.

Once again, Huawei hosted the largest booth at the annual show and was keen to discuss the company’s vision of an agentic AI-driven future. To learn more, Counterpoint Research Director, Marc Einstein, sat with Huawei’s 5G & LTE TDD Product Line Vice President, Cullen Xu, to discuss the brand’s progress in the space and to explore its vision of an intelligent hyperconnected future.

The Interview

Key Takeaways From the Discussion:

5G-A^A Solutions for the Mobile AI Era

• Huawei’s Field Maintenance Engineer (FME) mate removes manual, expert labor from network optimization and troubleshooting exercises. The average time involved in resolving an issue has been reduced from 4 hours to 1 hour.
• Network automation has reached the level where humans are removed entirely from Optimization Spirit, reducing exercises that formerly took days to a few hours.
• Huawei’s 0 Bit 0 Watt ultra-efficient energy solution has been enhanced with Intelligent global energy-saving policy implementation to create an even more efficient ‘Watt Master’ solution.

5.5G Solutions on the Move

• Operators in China and the Middle East have been the first to adopt 5.5G but several other major telcos are considering adopting the standard as well.
• The main reason for adoption, in Huawei’s view, is government policy as many regions around the world see 5.5G as an investment in the future.
• The second reason is to drive business results. For example, in China, operators have been able to achieve a 15% rise in ARPUs by offering new tariff packages to consumers who demand lower latency for applications such as gaming and guaranteed experience in live streaming services. Operators in the Middle East are finding success with 5.5G FWA which can offer new speed package more than 300Mbps.

Spectrum Management is Paramount

• Wideband spectrum is the foundation to 5.5G era and combined with new technology can unlock the full potential of 5.5G.
• In some places, like parts of Europe, where this wideband spectrum is not available, legacy FDD spectrum can be combined with C-band to achieve the 5G advanced experience.

5G-A Networks are Increasingly Deterministic

• Deterministic networks are predictable. This means a variety of service levels can be offered in the network.
• These networks are also highly granular and offer a high level of visibility, enabling advanced solutions like digital twins.
• Finally, deterministic networks enable a higher degree of segmentation which give telcos the opportunity to offer solutions to VIP customers.

A New Ecosystem is Emerging

• Huawei is working closely with telco customers to develop 10Gbps capability network which will expand their offerings even further.
• The company is also increasingly working with industry verticals to contribute to digital transformation initiatives.
• Huawei is also increasingly reaching out to non-telco and non-industrial partners to advance AI initiatives as well.
  

Analyst Take:

• At this year’s MWC, it was clear that telcos are starting to adopt AI in their networks, as every telco we spoke to had an update on the topic. Double-digit cost savings from AI could encourage operators to make stronger network investments in technologies like mmWave, 5G-A and other technologies going forward.
• 5.5G has delivered solid business results in places like China and the Middle East. It will be interesting to watch how the technology’s adoption evolves, particularly in the Asia Pacific and European geographies.
• Spectrum remains a challenge in certain parts of the world as does the lack of a strong ecosystem. These will likely remain pain points going forward.