BARCELONA, Spain, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Executives from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) said the mobile communications industry has undergone significant changes over the past two decades as digital technologies and artificial intelligence continue to expand the role of connectivity.
Speaking at the 2026 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath said the sector has grown rapidly and now plays a central role in the global economy.
Today there are nearly 9 billion mobile connections worldwide, linking about 5.8 billion people, or roughly 70 percent of the global population. "The mobile industry has essentially become the nervous system of the digital world," Badrinath said.
He noted that expanding 5G deployment remains a key priority as operators explore new applications in areas such as manufacturing, logistics and urban infrastructure.
GSMA Chief Marketing Officer Lara Dewar said mobile phones have become deeply embedded in daily life.
"Phones have gone from being a tool to make phone calls to a device we rely on for almost every element of our lives," she said, noting that smartphones are widely used to access news, watch entertainment, manage daily tasks and communicate through video calls.
Dewar added that the Mobile World Congress itself reflects how the industry has broadened over time.
"When the show first started, it was largely a mobile industry event speaking to itself. Today it has grown into an ecosystem event that includes sectors such as aviation, healthcare and manufacturing," she said.
She also highlighted the rapid development of artificial intelligence, noting that large language models are increasingly being used in everyday work. ■
