Global MBBF 2024: 5.5G and AI Converge to Lead Mobile AI Era

The Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024) has launched in Istanbul, Türkiye, under the theme “5.5G Leads Mobile AI Era,” drawing over 1,000 guests from mobile network carriers, ecosystem players, and industry leaders. Attendees will explore innovations in business models, industry advancements, and critical technological directions in the Mobile AI era.

The forum, hosted by Huawei with support from GSMA and GTI, aims to accelerate 5.5G and AI convergence, creating added value for the mobile industry. Kicking off the event, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman, Ken Hu, spoke on AI’s transformative potential: “In the future, AI will change everything. Everyone will be able to use it, anytime and anywhere. Mobile networks and devices will play an important role to make that happen, just like what we have done to enable telephones and mobile Internet as a universal service.”

The year 2024 marks both the commercial launch of 5.5G and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday life, with over 3 million AI-capable applications globally—outnumbering all non-AI apps available today. This significant milestone underscores the arrival of the Mobile AI era.

Huawei’s Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, Li Peng, presented a keynote on seizing growth opportunities in the Mobile AI era. “The mobile AI era is here,” he remarked, discussing emerging opportunities and the need for carriers to adapt by reshaping services, networks, operations, and business models. According to Li, enhanced network capabilities, including uplink, latency, and capacity, will be key to supporting AI-enabled experiences and optimizing network efficiency.

MBBF 2024 features exhibitions highlighting intelligent connectivity across homes, industries, and transportation, with demonstrations of multimodal AI applications, including AI-powered devices, digital human interactions, and real-time translation technology. These showcases, supported by Huawei and industry partners, emphasize the expansive capabilities of 5.5G networks, both indoors and outdoors at the venue.

The 15th Global Mobile Broadband Forum runs through October 31, fostering discussions on 5.5G success and new advancements in the Mobile AI era.