(Yicai) June 24 -- Alongside the opening of 2026 Mobile World Congress Shanghai, a new report forecasts that mobile technologies will contribute USD2.1 trillion to China’s economy by 2030, up from USD1.5 trillion last year.

Last year’s figure accounted for 7.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the Mobile Economy China 2026 report published yesterday by the MWC Shanghai’s organizers, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.

The report also noted that after years of large-scale fifth-generation rollout, China accounts for over 40 percent of global 5G connections. With coverage and capacity still expanding, the sector is shifting from adding users to delivering faster, smarter, and more differentiated services, led by the rapid commercialization of 5G-Advanced, which is now live in more than 330 Chinese mainland cities and serves over 10 million users.

Operators are positioning 5G-Advanced as a platform for mobile artificial intelligence, immersive experiences, industrial intelligence, and upgraded urban safety and management systems, the report noted.

At the report’s launch event, the GSMA also previewed the innovative achievements, on-site experiences, and highlights of cutting-edge technologies that will be showcased at MWC Shanghai over the next three days. 

Guests from leading tech firms such as Huawei Technologies, Honor Device, Vodafone Asia, Siemens China, AgiBot, and ZTE will discuss AI, robotics, and the digital future of industry.

As a strategic media partner for the conference, Yicai will also bring company executives and industry experts into the expo’s live studio to look at the storage industry, the underlying intelligent infrastructure, and the overseas expansion of Chinese telecom companies.

Editor: Tom Litting