Huawei is trying to move the telecom conversation beyond faster downloads.
At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai, the company framed the next phase of mobile networks around artificial intelligence, arguing that carriers will need to rethink how connectivity, computing power, and services work together as AI agents become more common.
David Wang, Huawei’s deputy chairman and rotating chairman, set out six priorities that he said will shape the next decade of mobile communications. They include developing new services for future mobile systems, integrating AI into mobile networks, building satellite-ground network architecture, planning spectrum for future demand, defining AI-native core networks, and exploring new business models for mobile services.
Put simply, Huawei wants carriers to prepare for a world where networks are not just moving data between people and devices. They will also need to support AI services that process requests, generate responses, and interact in real time.
That shift explains Huawei’s focus on what it calls “byte and token monetization.” Bytes refer to conventional data traffic. Tokens are the units processed by AI models, such as pieces of text, images, or other inputs and outputs. As AI services move onto phones, glasses, home devices, and enterprise systems, Huawei believes carriers may be able to earn revenue not only from data usage, but also from the AI activity running across their networks.
The company’s six priorities point to the infrastructure changes it sees as necessary for that transition.
One priority is the development of new services and capabilities for future mobile systems. Huawei said it is working with carriers on areas such as 5G-Advanced (also known as 5G-A), high-uplink capabilities, experience-based monetization, AI-powered business upgrades, and token-related services.
Another is the deeper integration of AI into telecom networks. Rather than treating AI as a separate application layer, Huawei is pitching networks that use AI for operations, optimization, energy efficiency, and service delivery.
Satellite-ground integration is also part of the roadmap. This would involve networks that combine terrestrial mobile infrastructure with satellite links, potentially extending coverage and improving resilience in areas where conventional mobile networks are limited.
Spectrum planning is another pillar. Huawei pointed to U6GHz, or the upper 6 GHz band, as a potential next-generation frequency band for high-capacity mobile networks. The company said more than 20 countries and regions have designated U6GHz for international mobile telecommunications, covering nearly 80% of the world’s population.
Huawei has been building up its U6GHz messaging since MWC Barcelona earlier this year, where it introduced a product portfolio covering macro sites, small cells, and microwave equipment. The band offers wider bandwidth than conventional 5G deployments, but it also faces higher signal loss and weaker indoor penetration, making coverage a core challenge. Huawei’s proposed answer centers on denser antenna arrays, beamforming algorithms, indoor small cells, and backhaul equipment designed to prevent bottlenecks between base stations and the wider network.
Huawei also called for clearer specifications for AI-native core networks. These are the central systems that manage mobile traffic, user access, and service delivery, redesigned to better support AI workloads and automated decision-making.
The final priority is business model experimentation. Huawei said AI could help carriers develop new offerings in consumer, home, and enterprise markets, including smart home assistants, personal communication assistants, and computing services delivered through carrier networks.
Much of this depends on uplink capacity, or the speed at which devices send data back to the network. Huawei said AI glasses used for real-time translation or exhibition viewing may require uplink speeds of 20 megabytes per second. That matters because consumer mobile services have historically emphasized download speeds, while interactive AI services may need stronger two-way connections.
According to Huawei, the number of 5G-A users worldwide has exceeded 100 million. The company is now working with carriers to make 5G-A part of their installed base operations, with the aim of retaining mid- and high-end users and increasing average revenue per user.
The company also launched what it calls an AI-centric target network. The concept covers three layers: a basic communications network that supports real-time interaction, a computing network that schedules resources across the network, and AI computing infrastructure designed for high performance and open ecosystems.
The roadmap will require more than technical upgrades. Carriers will need to prove that customers and enterprises are willing to pay for AI-enabled services, not just faster connectivity. They will also need to turn concepts such as token monetization into clearly defined products.
MWC Shanghai 2026 runs from June 24–26 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, where Huawei is showcasing its products and solutions.