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We look ahead at what to expect from the biggest show in town – Mobile World Congress 2018
Next week over 100,000 people are set to descend on Barcelona for the biggest event in the telecommunications world – Mobile World Congress.
Total Telecom will be there, bringing you live updates from the exhibition halls and conference sessions, as well as some really interesting interviews that we have lined up.
So, what can we expect from this year’s show. As a first time visitor to MWC, I am told to expect "carnage". Here’s a peak at what is coming up at this year’s event.
AI set to dominate
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionise every aspect of our lives in the decades to come. This year at MWC AI is set to dominate the headlines with a range of exhibits intended to act as a glimpse into the future.
Huawei are set to unveil their new AI initiative – featuring a driverless car powered by an AI enhanced smartphone,
“Our smartphone is already outstanding at object recognition. We wanted to see if in a short space of time we could teach it to not only drive a car, but to use its AI capabilities to see certain objects, and be taught to avoid them” said Andrew Garrihy, chief marketing officer, Huawei Western Europe.
“If our technology is intelligent enough to achieve this in just 5 weeks – what else can it make possible?,” he added.
That’s a good question, and one that Huawei will be sure to be answering in Barcelona. I have to confess that I am looking forward to putting their freshly kitted out Porsche through its paces at the Camp Nou on Tuesday (more details of that to follow on Tuesday afternoon).
The F-Words (Five G and Fibre)
5G is looming large in every conversation about mobile connectivity at the moment, and at MWC people are sure to be shouting its name from the roof tops.
Ericsson, Nokia, and a host of other tech providers are planning an array of live demonstrations and tests, designed to show off the ultra high speed and low latency that 5G will eventually bring.
On Tuesday Afternoon, Ericsson will be hosting a seminar session, offering insights from early 5G experiences, in which a panel of Ericsson’s top 5G experts will debate the ins and outs of 5G deployment, as well as identifying lessons that need to be learnt. Korea Telecom will also share insights from the first 5G services during the Winter Olympics.
The rollout of full fibre broadband networks across Europe is sure to be a hot topic this year, with both Telefonica and Orange having lots of fibre related news to shout about. There could even be news from some UK based operators following Ofcoms new regulations to ease fibre rollout in the UK (maybe don’t hold your breath though!).
Handsets
With Apple being conspicuously absent from the event, the stage is set for Huawei, Nokia and Samsung to show off their latest handsets. All the latest tech will be on display, with a number of manufacturers turning their attention to perfecting their photographic capabilities. Keep your eyes peeled at Huawei and Samsung’s stands for some demonstrations of cutting edge smart phone photography.
So, armed with a Dictaphone, a reporter’s notepad and a comfortable pair of shoes, Total Telecom is off to Barcelona. Keep checking the website and social media channels though out the week for all the latest updates from Mobile World Congress 2018.
Friday Review – 23/02/2018
