GSMA highlights robotics, drones and vehicles at MWC Shanghai 2026

GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath said at MWC Shanghai 2026 that humanoid robotics, the low-altitude economy and autonomous or connected vehicles are three high-potential markets emerging from Asia’s mobile ecosystem. He said telecom infrastructure supports this shift as the mobile industry moves from connecting people and businesses to coordinating intelligent systems at scale.

Badrinath said robotics and embedded artificial intelligence are moving from production settings into wider commercial use. He cited examples from Chinese operators shown during MWC Shanghai 2026: China Mobile is developing robots for order collection, preparation and delivery in hospitality; China Telecom is working with AgiBot on a robotics-as-a-service model for aviation and logistics; and China Unicom is showing robots used in the chemical industry to inspect, diagnose and respond to hazards.

Badrinath said China’s low-altitude economy is expanding quickly, with more than 3 million registered drones in the country and total flight time exceeding 45 million hours in 2025, up 70% from 2024. He said China Mobile uses drones to inspect remote assets including power plants, solar parks and railways; China Telecom uses drones to monitor air quality and detect pollution in Nanjing; and China Unicom is developing delivery use cases including blood transport to hospitals in Anyang. He added that all three operators are building platforms to monitor airspace, identify risks and support safer operations.

Badrinath said vehicles are also becoming software-defined, connected platforms. He said China Mobile is building an AI ecosystem linking user devices, vehicles and smart home environments; China Telecom is integrating non-terrestrial networks into vehicles for remote maintenance and emergency connectivity; and China Unicom is developing vehicle-to-everything capabilities, described in the source as V2O, for hazard detection and communication between vehicles. He said progress in these areas will require continued collaboration between mobile operators, technology companies, industry partners and governments.