MWC Shanghai 2025
Keynote 1: Connectivity for a New Era
Wednesday 18 June 2025 | 09:00 – 10:45 | MWC Main Stage, Kerry Hotel
LENGTH: 10min

Good morning everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here and to welcome you to MWC Shanghai 2025!

I was last here in April with the GSMA leadership team, and we saw some very impressive examples of the latest technologies.
For me they didn’t just show progress – they showed the full potential of 5G in action.
This week I’m sure the exhibition floor will be filled with many exciting examples…
But even as we begin to see 5G’s full potential, one question remains –
How can we drive growth?
This week, we will hear many discussions about what comes next…
But before we race ahead, I think we need to finish what we started…

We need to complete the 5G journey…
Because the potential is already there… and China is showing us what’s possible.
So how can we scale that success?
Today I’d like to highlight 3 things I believe can unlock the full power of 5G:

Infrastructure…
Investment…
and Innovation.
Let’s take a look.
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Infrastructure is the foundation of the 5G journey…
… and to complete this journey, we need to finish the rollout of 5G Standalone.
Through Service Based Architecture, 5G Standalone allows us to make the whole network configurable and programmable.
With faster speeds, ultra-low latency and enhanced network slicing capabilities, completing the 5G journey will open up even more opportunities for growth.

China has been one of the leaders in the rollout of 5G …
In January, there were 4.25 million 5G base stations in place … which will grow to 4.5 million by the end of the year.
Last year China passed 1 billion 5G connections…
And today 5G accounts for more than 50% of mobile connections in the country.
And we see the impact everywhere.
This graph shows the contribution of mobile technologies to China’s GDP…

And you can see… as 5G continues to expand across industries, our contribution to GDP grows…
In fact, we already see the benefits:
In cities like Shanghai, ultra-dense 5G networks are powering smart ports, automated factories, and stadiums.
In rural provinces, 5G is improving agricultural productivity through drone monitoring and precise irrigation.
And in healthcare, China’s hospitals are piloting 5G-enabled remote surgery and diagnostics.

Now that 5G has matured, 5G Advanced is the next quest for growth...
Here again, China is setting the pace…
Last year China Mobile launched the world’s first commercial 5G-Advanced network – starting with 100 cities and finishing the year with more than 300.
China Unicom and Huawei have launched a large-scale integrated 5G-Advanced intelligent network covering more than 10 million people in Beijing.
And China Telecom’s 5G Advanced private network in Tianjin Port, has boosted efficiency by 20% through automated crane operations and container handling.
The potential is clear… now, the next phase is about scale.
We must take this proven capability and make it accessible everywhere.
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Of course, this kind of scale needs investment.
China has already invested heavily in networks, and Chinese operators will continue to spend because they understand the use cases and are leaning in.
By 2030, operators in China are expected to spend about $219 billion on capex.
This is a significant investment… and an enabling one.
When we invest in our networks… we lay the foundation for long-term economic growth.
As you can see here…

For every $1 the mobile industry adds to the GDP…
… an additional $2.3 is added to GDP through indirect and productivity gains in the wider economy.
Last year the mobile industry contributed over $1 trillion to China’s GDP…
And, this will almost double to $2 trillion in 2030.
So, it is very clear that network investment is a catalyst for national economic growth.
If we want to unlock the next wave of value, we must keep investing strategically.
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This brings me to the final point: innovation
Innovation breathes life into the networks and across whole ecosystems:

GSMA Open Gateway is an example of this…

By opening our networks we are unlocking new market opportunities for operators… and driving innovation across sectors.
Today, over 70 mobile operator groups representing almost 80% of global connections have joined… including all operator groups in China.
… and in March, China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, achieved the first cross-network integration of 5G Quality on Demand through GSMA Open Gateway.
This opens the door for many more APIs to be released… and we look forward to seeing what’s to come!
There is a significant opportunity for innovation here – and with a $300 billion addressable market for Open Gateway, this opportunity cannot be ignored.

Another example of ecosystem-driven innovation is, of course, AI.

Our networks are not just using AI, they are enabling it.
Telecom infrastructure is the foundation that makes AI scalable, responsive, and available in real time.
Without advanced connectivity, there is no AI.
Our infrastructure connects users to large language models in industrial-scale data centres.
As AI adoption grows exponentially, the capabilities built into 5G are absolutely essential.
Simply put: more AI means more demand on networks – and the need for more 5G.
China has already positioned itself as one of the global leaders in 5G…
And when it comes to AI, I know it plans to replicate this success.
As you can see here, China sits just behind Germany and the US in advanced uses of gen AI technology

Now the race is on to develop solutions for the enterprise segment, and Chinese operators are again at the forefront:
China Mobile, for example, has an ‘AI + 5G’ suite that combines high-speed connectivity with AI-powered tools for different sectors. By using AI predictive maintenance, this solution helped cut downtime for a car manufacturer by 15%.
China Unicom’s Smart Connection offering has helped a steel plant in Hebei boost efficiency by 18%, using AI algorithms to predict equipment failures.
And China Telecom is using AI to empower vertical industries, through customised private 5G networks. I mentioned Tianjin Port before, but with AI, the system is also learning to predict peak traffic periods and proactively adjust resources.
So, what can we take from this?
The rapid rise of AI is a huge opportunity for our industry… but AI also needs our networks and data to scale to its full potential.
And this is exactly the kind of ecosystem thinking that we need today.
If we are going to innovate for the future, we can’t do it in siloes, we must collaborate – across technologies, sectors, and borders.
Ecosystem innovation doesn’t just unlock new value, it creates possibilities we haven’t even imagined yet.
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Infrastructure… investment… innovation…
These are the foundations of progress in the new era of connectivity.
And I believe if we get these three right, we unlock everything else.
This week I know there’ll be many discussions about 6G… and that future is exciting.
But before we look too far ahead, we must stay focused on the opportunity that’s right in front of us.
We must complete the 5G journey.
Because only then can we truly begin to imagine what the future of 6G can bring.

The potential of 5G is there.
The technology is ready.
Now it’s up to us to scale it and unlock the new era of connectivity.
Thank you.
[FROM HERE: BACK TO PRODUCTION SLIDES]
To continue the conversation, it’s now my pleasure to welcome our next speaker Yang Jie, Chairman of China Mobile.
With deep expertise in network innovation and digital transformation, China Mobile is playing a key role in advancing 5G, AI, and next-generation connectivity across China and beyond.
Please welcome Chairman Yang Jie to the stage.
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YANG JIE KEYNOTE
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Thank you so much Chairman Yang, always exciting to hear about China Mobile’s latest developments.

Our next speaker comes from the tower industry – an industry I am very familiar with from my past work.
Since it was formed over a decade ago, China Tower has been an essential force in building the infrastructure that powers China’s digital future.
Infrastructure is one of the key pillars I mentioned earlier, and so I really look forward to hearing from Zhiyong Zhang, Chairman of China Tower today.
Please join me in welcoming him to the stage.
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ZHIYONG ZHANG KEYNOTE
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Thank you so much Chairman Zhang, super interesting to hear about the latest developments in the sector.

Our next speaker gives us the opportunity to zoom out to the wider Asia region. With over 770 million mobile customers, Singtel plays a vital role in shaping digital transformation and 5G innovation across Southeast Asia and beyond.
Please join me in welcoming to the stage Dr Anna Yip, CEO of International Digital Services at Singtel.
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Thank you so much Dr Yip for sharing your insights, always great to hear what Singtel is working on.
Thank you again to all our speakers.
And thank you all for joining us.
I wish you all a very successful MWC Shanghai