I recently attended Mobile World Congress or MWC 25 in Barcelona, Spain for the first time in eight years. It was great to see how well attended it was, with north of 100,000 roaming the halls of the Fira. It also comes at a time that of renewed interest in service provider networks, as 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is taking off, Private 5G (P5G) continues to find new use cases, quantum security solutions are being deployed and the entire industry seeks to understand how AIOps can assist network operations and the role of the network in enabling Generative AI (genAI) environments, especially connecting IoT heavy edge environments.
Given the size of the expo hall, despite being there for three and half days, it was difficult to get to all the halls and visit all the booths I wanted to, especially when I had the opportunity to also participate in some great interviews on theCUBE, which just completed its fourth straight year at MWC.
Here are some of my takeaways from my meetings, interviews, and announcements from MWC25
Cisco:
Cisco unveiled its Agile Services Networking innovations to help service providers compete in the AI-driven market with simplified, resilient, and intelligent networking. These innovations provide real-time visibility into both on-network and off-network connectivity, enabling AI-ready, differentiated subscriber experiences.
Cisco’s solution integrates Silicon One routing, converged IP and optics, and a unified software experience. The launch also includes ThousandEyes Connected Devices and Provider Connectivity Assurance, which offers predictive demand intelligence and last-mile network insights to improve service reliability. Additionally, Cisco introduced new capabilities in its Mobility Services Platform, providing innovation-as-a-service for mobile operators to accelerate growth.
Cisco cited Agile Services Networking early adopters like Arelion, Lumen, and Reliance Jio leveraging the services to enhance performance, reduce costs, and drive new revenue. While companies such as Virgin Media O2 and Odido are leveraging these ThousandEyes and Provider Connectivity Assurance technologies to optimize customer experiences and boost satisfaction. Thanks to Jeetu Patel for joining us on theCUBE
Juniper
Juniper Networks highlighted its collaboration with Saudi Telecom Company (STC) to expand 5G services across 75 cities and regions while significantly enhancing network capacity and efficiency. By deploying Juniper’s 400G routers within its Converged Supercore network and key data centers, STC has achieved an 864-port boost in 400G capacity per rack space and a 43% reduction in power consumption. The upgrade leveraged Juniper PTX10008 routers, resulting in a 1,340% increase in 100G capacity and future-ready 800G capabilities, while MX10008 routers modernize data centers with a 384-port boost in 400G capacity and deliver significant space and energy savings. Additionally, model-driven automation leveraging Juniper’s programmable PTX and MX platforms optimizes operations, supporting STC’s digital transformation and sustainability goals. Many thanks to Jeff Aaron for the update and to Rami Rahim and Neil McFarland for joining us on theCUBE.
HPE Aruba Networks
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) introduced new connectivity solutions and infrastructure advancements to support next-generation telecommunications networks and evolving enterprise needs. Key announcements included the HPE Aruba Networking CX 8325P switch, which integrates precision timing for AI workloads, private 5G, and low-latency applications, eliminating the need for separate timing appliances. HPE also unveiled the ProLiant Compute DL110 Gen12, featuring Intel’s Xeon 6 Granite Rapids-D chipset, optimized for far-edge telco deployments and Open RAN. Additionally, HPE announced a partnership with T-Mobile to deliver an affordable, enterprise-grade networking solution for small businesses. The company is showcasing AI-driven network automation, private 5G, and edge compute solutions, reinforcing its leadership in AI-powered networking, Open RAN, and telecommunications infrastructure. Special thanks to David Hughes for the discussion on the evolution of OpsRamp and Central delivering multivendor network management. Also, thanks to the Barcelona Football Club for the tour of their renovated stadium, soon to be powered by HPE.
IBM
Vodafone and IBM have announced a collaboration to enhance quantum-safe security for mobile users by integrating IBM Quantum Safe technology into Vodafone Secure Net, a digital security service protecting millions of users against phishing, malware, and identity theft. As part of a proof of concept, Vodafone is testing post-quantum cryptography standards to future-proof encryption methods against potential quantum computing threats. The initiative was demonstrated at Mobile World Congress with support from Akamai Technologies, aligns with Vodafone’s broader strategy to introduce attack-resistant cryptographic algorithms across its networks and services. IBM continues to pioneer quantum-safe cryptography, including its role in developing NIST’s first post-quantum cryptography standards, and Vodafone highlights its efforts as an early adopter of quantum-safe security solutions. Both companies are also founding members of the GSMA’s Post-Quantum Telco Network Task Force, working to drive industry-wide adoption of post-quantum security best practices. Thanks to all our IBM guests on theCUBE
Dell
Dell Technologies launched the Open Telecom Transformation Program to accelerate network cloud transformation for communications service providers (CSPs), to address complexity, operational disruptions, and ecosystem limitations. The program offers a structured four-step approach covering advisory, implementation, support, and managed services to enhance efficiency, scalability, and reliability. Dell is collaborating with Ericsson, Nokia, and AMD to advance cloud-native architectures, AI-driven telecom operations, and open network ecosystems. Additionally, Dell is expanding AI capabilities through partnerships and certification programs, enabling predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and improved network performance with AI-ready infrastructure. Great to see PeirLuca and thanks to Dennis Hoffman for stopping by theCUBE.
Ericsson – SailGP
Discussing a rather unique P5G use case on theCUBE, Ericsson and SailGP joined us to discuss how high-speed 5G connectivity is being used for the 2025 racing season. SailGP stated the P5G network has enhanced race operations, athlete performance, and fan engagement. Leveraging Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions and Cradlepoint edge routers, the race teams will benefit from real-time data transmission, enabling faster tactical decisions and performance optimization under extreme conditions. The 5G-enabled live camera streaming will assist race adjudication while data collected from each F50 catamaran—exceeding 53 billion data points per race day—will be securely processed via Oracle Cloud (OCI) to ensure fair competition. The collaboration follows a successful trial with T-Mobile in Season 4 and aims to provide seamless connectivity across global race venues, improving both race integrity and spectator experience through advanced analytics. See the full video on theCUBE YouTube Channel
Arrcus
Arrcus has introduced TGAX, a Telco-Grade AI Ethernet Switch built on the NVIDIA Spectrum-4 platform, designed to help telecom operators monetize AI-ready edge networking services. By integrating AI capabilities with multicloud networking, VPN, and data center interconnect services, TGAX enables the convergence of AI and RAN on a unified infrastructure, unlocking new revenue streams and enhancing RAN performance. Powered by ArcOS NOS, the switch offers high programmability, scalability, and operational efficiency, supporting deployments from edge to core to cloud while reducing complexity and total cost of ownership. Key features include SRv6-based traffic engineering for low-latency AI applications, Egress Cost Control for bandwidth cost management, and advanced Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms.
Wrapping up
Given the size and scope of the event, there were hundreds, if not thousands of announcements surrounding the event, but these were the ones that caught my attention. Many thanks to AWS, IBM, Palo Alto Networks, RedHat, Inseego, OXIO, NTT for joining us on theCUBE. Check out all the videos on our YouTube channel.
Looking forward to next year’s event and catching up at MWC America later this year.
