Huawei executives said the telecom industry must evolve from monetizing data traffic alone to monetizing both bytes and AI-generated tokens as AI services become increasingly embedded in consumer and enterprise applications
In sum – what to know:
Token monetization focus – Huawei said telecom operators must move beyond traditional traffic monetization and capture new revenue opportunities from AI services and AI agents through token monetization.
AI-native networks – The vendor said future mobile networks will need integrated communications, computing, and intelligence capabilities to support emerging AI applications.
Six priorities for growth – Huawei outlined six key imperatives for the industry’s next decade, including AI-native cores, satellite-terrestrial integration, and new business models.
SHANGHAI — Chinese vendor Huawei is urging telecom operators to prepare for a new era of “token monetization,” arguing that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and AI agents will create fresh revenue opportunities beyond traditional connectivity services.
Speaking during MWC Shanghai 2026, Huawei executives said the telecom industry must evolve from monetizing data traffic alone to monetizing both bytes and AI-generated tokens as AI services become increasingly embedded in consumer and enterprise applications.
At the event, Huawei showcased what it described as integrated service, network and computing innovations designed to help operators capture growth opportunities created by evolving AI models and AI agents.
During a keynote address, David Wang, Huawei’s deputy chairman of the board and rotating chairman, said the mobile industry is entering a new stage shaped by artificial intelligence.
“With each generation, we have pushed the limits of spectral efficiency and performance,” Wang said. “Network architecture has gradually flattened, with new application scenarios and services emerging left and right. This has consistently expanded the boundaries of communications, helping carriers translate network capabilities into commercial value,” the executive said.
The vendor argued that AI is fundamentally reshaping mobile network requirements and that future networks must evolve beyond traditional connectivity models to support increasingly complex AI-driven applications and services.
According to Huawei, AI-native mobile networks will require the integration of communications, computing, and intelligence capabilities within a unified architecture.
Huawei also unveiled what it calls an AI-centric target network, which aims to help carriers improve competitiveness in both byte and token monetization.
The company said future communications networks will need to shift from traffic-centric networking toward architectures optimized for real-time interaction and guaranteed connectivity. At the same time, computing networks will evolve from simple traffic transport platforms into infrastructures capable of network-wide compute scheduling and supply.
Huawei also said that AI computing infrastructure will also need to support higher performance, greater efficiency, and open ecosystems.
The company highlighted high uplink capability as a critical requirement for the token monetization era. According to Huawei, mobile AI applications such as AI glasses increasingly rely on real-time multimodal interactions that require sustained uplink performance. The vendor said AI glasses used for translation and immersive experiences may require uplink speeds of around 20 Mbps.
Huawei also said it expects the growing use of AI agents to drive rapid growth in token-based services, creating demand for networks capable of delivering high uplink throughput, high reliability, and low latency.
In his speech, Wang also outlined six key priorities that Huawei believes will shape the next decade of industry growth:
-Developing new services and capabilities for future mobile communications systems;
-Integrating AI with mobile communications to build three distinct layers of intelligence;
-Building network architectures that integrate satellite and terrestrial communications;
-Advocating sustainable and future-oriented spectrum planning and allocation;
-Clearly defining specifications for AI-native core networks; and
-Exploring new business models and application scenarios for mobile services.
During his keynote speech, Wang also stressed the importance of integrated satellite-terrestrial architectures, arguing that future mobile systems will require seamless coordination across terrestrial networks, satellite systems, and emerging low-altitude connectivity platforms.
Huawei additionally called for stronger international collaboration around 6G development, urging industry stakeholders to work together on global standards, spectrum harmonization, and ecosystem development The vendor said international cooperation will be essential as the telecom industry prepares for the commercial transition toward 6G later this decade.
