MWC25: telecoms players pushed new B2B products, but any boosts to revenue are years away

Telecoms players typically use Mobile World Congress (MWC) to showcase their new solutions and capabilities. MWC25 was no exception. Operators’ new B2B propositions based on AI, network APIs and 5G capabilities were highly visible and discussed as drivers of revenue growth.

In contrast, IT services such as security and cloud applications received far less attention, despite providing a clearer path to revenue growth in the immediate future. This is not unusual for MWC, but it highlights a mismatch between where revenue growth is actually coming from and what operators present at high-profile events.

MWC25 showed that many products based on newer propositions, such as network APIs, are coming to market and that the number of associated partnerships and investments is increasing, but demand remains highly uncertain. Operators presented a vision of these products leading to much needed revenue growth, but questions remain about the timelines for widescale adoption and to what extent these products can be monetised.