Next week sees Mobile World Congress kick off in Barcelona, a week celebrating all things mobile (and beyond) and kicking off for telemedia companies with Telemedia8.1 LIVE on Monday.
So what are some of the hot topics and hot companies that telemedia visitors should be looking out for at both Telemedia8.1 and the main MWC event this year? Here are what we think are the most exciting developments for mobile value-added services (mVAS) providers to watch at the shows.
Enhanced mobile payment solutions
Carrier billing is going to be hot at Telemedia8.1, but also expect to see more of it across the rest of MWC25. This DCB is increasingly becoming the powerhouse of monetising mVAS in evolving markets, but it is also being seen as a tool that can be leveraged across all markets. Just look at Vodafone’s bus ticket offering in Germany. Expect to see more of DCB this year. In fact one in five mobile users will be using DCB by the end of the year.
The leading DCB providers will all be there at Telemedia8.1, including Dynamic Mobile Billing, which has grown out of a legacy of carrier billing to become a billing service provider that offers the full range of payment solutions for mVAS. As the content gets richer and more widely used, so the need for payments has shifted. Expect to see a ton of payments developments across MWC25.
Tools like MCP Insight’s MCP SCANNER and MCP SHIELD will be showcased to optimise mVAS advertising, payment flows and fraud prevention, while the work done by Evina to stop fraud in carrier billing has worked wonders for the sector. These solutions, along with market intelligence and fraud prevention from Empello, help manage risk, ensure compliance with regulations, and enhance customer experience through robust due diligence and consent verification processes. This is crucial for sustainable growth in carrier billing services.
Content to get ever richer
Of course the mVAS sector is driven by pushing traffic which requires not only state of the art – and simple – billing, but also excellent content. Expect to see new ways of delivering content with unprecedented levels of immersion and reality, as well as content shifting away from some of the traditional things such as games, gaming and sports video clips but towards much more immersive and interactive services.
The confluence of mobile content, VAS and payments is increasingly becoming the cornerstone of telemedia and we are going to see more and more companies like Go4Mobility springing up that bring these together as a service.
Superbundling
Bringing streaming, content and payments together, superbundling is set to transform the telemedia and MNO landscape as it offers consumers a much more adaptable way to manage all their subscriptions – as well as giving MNOs a vital new revenue stream. Check out Bango at MWC25, which is launching a new superbundling product.
Immersive voice and audio services (IVAS)
Nokia, Vodafone and RingCentral are among a number of companies at MWC25 that will showcase IVAS, a groundbreaking technology that adds spatial audio to voice calls. This innovation will enhance business communications, industrial operations and everyday mobile calls by creating a lifelike, three-dimensional sound experience. The IVAS codec also supports advanced features like head-tracked binaural audio and multi-loudspeaker playback, opening new opportunities for mVAS providers in immersive communication. It also offers the chance to create exciting new chat services – both voice based and beyond – allowing for better audio and more exciting services.
Mixed Reality (MR) innovations
Mixed Reality (MR), which merges physical and digital worlds, will be highlighted as a transformative tool for entertainment, education, and workplace collaboration. This technology offers mVAS providers a chance to create immersive experiences that blend augmented and virtual reality for diverse applications.
Already telemedia companies such as Sam Media are offering a metaverse product, Holozonia, that takes mobile content to new heights, as well as showcasing how combining VR and AR with premium services can create something new. The company’s SingSpace karaoke product debuted last year and is the embodiment of how the new levels of AR and VR – combined with the better network power of 5G – can deliver some truly amazing services.
AI Integration in telecoms
Artificial intelligence (AI) will dominate MWC 2025 – much as it has everything else in 2025 – as it becomes a strategic driver for customer experience and network innovation. AI-powered solutions such as predictive analytics, autonomous networks and hyper-personalised customer experiences are expected to reshape the telecom ecosystem. mVAS providers can leverage these advancements to optimize services and develop innovative offerings.
We’ve already reported how agentic AI will drive $75bn boom in customer experience, while an increasing number of companies are adding AI to the management of telecoms networks, not least companies such as Optiva, which is using AI to help telcos be more efficient and creative with their billing.
Advancements in 5G and IoT
The evolution of 5G, including standalone and advanced deployments, will be a key focus. Technologies like RedCap for scalable IoT connectivity and network slicing for quality on-demand services will enable new consumer and enterprise applications. With IoT devices projected to exceed 15 billion globally within two years, mVAS providers can explore opportunities in connected services and secure IoT ecosystems.
In fact, MNOs globally can generate $400bn in service revenue from 5G networks in 2024 – an annual growth of 32% from 2023 from these ‘tweaked’ versions of 5G for more specific business comms needs, we reported a year ago.
Looking more generally at MWC25
Aside from telemedia and mVAS developments, there are a number of other key themes at MWC25 that will impact the wider telecoms industry and therefore impact telmeedia. Some of the highlights include:
Satellite comms commoditised
Satcomms has long been a staple of one of the MWC halls, but until recently was something people trapped in rain forrests or attempting to row the Pacific Ocean used. Now they are much more affordable and increasingly ubiquitous – thanks in part to Elon Musk and Starlink and T-Mobile, but also Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile. This commoditisation of space and space comms is going to bring mobile broadband to developing markets, as well as potentially shaking up how the developed world also uses mobile. A big threat potentially to MNOs, but a big boon to us humble Earthlings.
Advancements in 5G and the path to 6G
MWC 2025 will highlight the next phase of 5G rollouts, including Release 17 and beyond, focusing on versatile, reliable, and ubiquitous networks. Discussions will also touch on early explorations of 6G, showcasing its potential to revolutionize connectivity for enterprises and consumers alike.
Generative AI and practical applications
Generative AI remains a key focus, with sessions exploring its practical deployment in optimizing networks, cloud solutions, and delivering hyper-personalized experiences. Ethical considerations such as security, bias, and workforce implications will also be addressed.
Connected industries and IoT growth
The rise of IoT devices, projected to exceed 15 billion globally within two years, will be a major theme. MWC will showcase how connected industries—spanning finance, manufacturing, mobility, and more—can leverage open, sustainable, and secure networks to drive innovation.
Game-changing technologies: quantum computing and extended reality
Emerging technologies like quantum computing, which promises exponential problem-solving capabilities, and extended reality (XR), which pushes the boundaries of interaction, will take center stage. These innovations are set to redefine industries and human interactions.
Focus on sustainability and digital transformation
MWC 2025 emphasizes “Digital DNA” aligning technological growth with sustainability goals such as environmental responsibility and diversity. Companies will showcase how they integrate these values into their strategies while adapting to rapid technological changes.
So there you have it; some of the key trends, themes and players to look out for next week. There are many more, but these are the ones we think will have the biggest impact. We look forward to sharing them with you in the year ahead. See you in Barcelona.
