Our key takeaways from Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC-26)
We highlight three themes that will have the biggest impact on spectrum policy.
Earlier this month, Mobile World Congress 2026 once again brought the telecommunications industry to Barcelona, and the LS telcom team was on the ground to take stock of the latest developments.
Amid the usual noise of product launches and marketing spectacle, three themes emerged that we believe will have an impact on how spectrum is managed and regulated over the coming decade.
Exciting satellite direct-to-device announcements, but regulatory questions remain unresolved
As expected, satellite direct-to-device (D2D) was a major part of MWC this year. SpaceX announced details for its upcoming second-generation D2D constellation, now called Starlink Mobile, which promises to deliver download speeds of up to 150 Mbps.
In the United States, SpaceX will face little regulatory resistance in launching this new service. Apart from needing to file its new constellation, the company will not face any spectrum access issues. That’s because the US regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already enabled the use of mobile spectrum for satellite D2D. Simultaneously, SpaceX has been successful in acquiring Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum through the secondary market, paving the way for its hybrid spectrum strategy.
In Europe, however, SpaceX still faces some barriers. Apart from the United Kingdom, most countries do not yet allow the use of terrestrial mobile spectrum from space. SpaceX also lacks access to MSS spectrum rights on the continent. While there is work ongoing to resolve both of these issues, progress has been slow.
A key point of contention will be the 2 GHz MSS band. Currently, Viasat and EchoStar have access to this important band. As we approach the expiry of these authorisations in 2027 however, the European Commission needs to decide who should get access after this date. There will undoubtably be excess demand for these frequencies, and the Commission will need to choose its authorisation method carefully.
Also at MWC, Deutsche Telekom announced it would be SpaceX’s first European partner for its V2 service, targeting a launch in ten European markets in 2028. We expect the company will seek access to the 2 GHz MSS band for its partner, facing up against Vodafone which is looking to gain access to this spectrum for AST SpaceMobile.
AI is becoming vital for telcos, but uncertainty remains
Another key takeaway from Barcelona this year is the prevalence of AI. Nearly every stall was trumpeting its integration of AI in one way or another. The biggest news, however, came from the world’s largest AI company NVIDIA. It announced it would work on 6G, ensuring the next generation of wireless technology is “AI native.” The company will work with a broad ecosystem of partners, including BT, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, and Nokia.
I found Nvidia’s announcement to be slightly vague, but nevertheless good news for the telco industry. It builds on Nvidia’s $1 billion investment into Nokia late last year, and shows that whatever comes next in AI, telecoms will likely unlock benefits from its adoption.
From a regulatory and standards development perspective, it will be interesting to watch how Nvidia’s latest commitment will translate into action. Will we see more representation from AI companies within bodies such as CEPT or the ITU? How will Nvidia shape 6G in its image, and what role might regulators play? These are all questions we’ll be keen to watch.
Different 6G visions are emerging, which may complicate policy decisions
Considering we may only be five years away from the first 6G deployments, it still feels early in the development phase. Already, different versions of 6G are taking shape. On the one end is a more optimistic and feature rich 6G, which will enable sensing of physical space, and direct AI integration.
On the other side, a more nuanced view of 6G is developing, as an evolution of 5G, rather than a revolution. Ericsson teamed up with Apple and Mediatek to show off a live demonstration of Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS) between 5G and 6G. This is being described as an evolution of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), a solution that allowed operators to deploy a cut-down version of 5G which still relied on a 4G core. It suggests to me that 6G will launch in several waves, and the first iteration of the technology likely won’t reflect its full potential.
What does this all mean for spectrum policymakers? The lack of certainty will be difficult to navigate. With the World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) coming up in 2027, countries will soon need to make decisions soon on how much spectrum should be allocated for 6G. But questions remain about what 6G will look like, or why it is needed, and regulatory decision like these will be harder to make than ever.
Conclusion
Walking the halls of MWC 2026 showed me there are many exciting developments in telecoms and satellite. But it also highlighted the gap between industry and regulations. LS telcom works with regulators, telcos, and governments across the spectrum lifecycle. We have deep experience advising clients on the kinds of questions that MWC 2026 has brought into focus. If you’re interested in learning how we could help you navigate these challenges, don’t hesitate to get in touch.