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AI and other technological innovations are rapidly changing how companies do business—and how people live their day-to-day lives.

The next wave of innovation was on display at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona. Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys Carri Bennet and Jill Canfield and New Business Lead Dawn Dunn (WBD UK) attended MWC, the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event.

For example, Womble client Mavenir demonstrated how AI by design software is turning networks into platforms for real-time intelligence, automation, and monetization. Highlights from their presentation included AI driven core network innovation, intent based orchestration, and AI powered services spanning voice, fraud detection, and enterprise digital enablement, illustrating how complexity can be abstracted behind simple intents while unlocking new, revenue generating use cases, and significant operational efficiencies.

Click here to watch an interview with Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli. In this video interview, Kohli positions cloud‑native, software‑driven networks as essential for operators facing cost pressure and rising complexity, arguing that disaggregation and Open RAN increase flexibility while reducing vendor lock‑in. Mavenir emphasizes automation and AI as critical enablers for operating large‑scale 5G networks more efficiently, improving reliability while lowering operational costs. Overall, Kohli frames Open RAN, cloud, and AI as moving from experimentation to practical, commercial deployment for operators.

In addition, Bennet, Canfield, and Dunn connected with the RWA Rural Delegation during MWC. This included an after-hours event hosted by RWA and the Wireless Infrastructure Association that included a who’s who of U.S. wireless carriers and digital infrastructure companies.  FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty also attended. (need pictures from Michele Giroux).

A highlight of the event is 4YFN (Four Years From Now), a separate exhibition hall featuring inventions and technological advancements expected to shape the future of the industry. Advanced robotics, more AI integration, and new wearable technologies, including those to address medical needs, were among the innovations on display.

“Eyewear are the new phones; AI is integrated into the network in nearly every aspect,” Bennet said. “Everything is moving at warp speed.”

Bennet, Canfield, and Womble Bond Dickinson’s Communications, Technology and Media Team help companies manage the pace of change. Reach out to them for more information.

 

 


 

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