
4 March 2021, Hong Kong: Connected Impact was the theme of MWC Shanghai 2021 and the GSMA has just revealed that the event held in February attracted around 25,000 attendees from 114 countries and territories. In a Covid era with extensive travel restrictions, this is an outstanding result. The My MWCS Online portal transformed the three-day event into a truly global affair which accounted for approximately 30 per cent of attendee turnout. Another 175,000 people viewed presentations, keynotes, and other program components via the event's official media partner, C114. Content from the event remains available over the next few weeks and can be accessed here: https://mwc2021-login.gotin.online/login_page?lang=en.
As Asia's leading exhibition and conference for the mobile ecosystem, MWC Shanghai attracted leaders across mobile and adjacent industries. With 350 speakers and senior-level executives making up around 58% of the conference crowd, including 576 CEO's, the event spanned 50,000 sqm across the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and Kerry Hotel Pudong. Playing host to 220 exhibitors and sponsors, the event was once again carbon-neutral and included discussion of the mobile industry's actions on reducing carbon footprints.
MWC Shanghai 2021 was a resounding success, safely held with enhanced Covid precautions, and despite extensive domestic and international travel and capacity restrictions triggered by the global pandemic. The event went ahead as a positive signal of our industry's determination to connect people, industry and society and contributing to global recovery, said CEO GSMA Ltd., John Hoffman. China has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to growing the 5G landscape and was the perfect choice to launch our MWC series for 2021. I sincerely thank the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Cyberspace Administration of China, Shanghai Municipal People's Government and Pudong New District Municipal Government, our Board, Partners, Exhibitors, Sponsors, Speakers, the Press and all involved in this event that make MWC Shanghai 2021 a reality.
The place to launch new products
MWC Shanghai 2021 was also a platform for product innovation, including a range of pioneering devices from leading players. Amongst the line-up was ZTE's Axon 30 smartphone, its latest endeavour to design a phone with a selfie camera hidden under the display. Oppo showed a 125-watt flash charger, which can fully recharge a smartphone in 20 minutes. Huawei, meanwhile, presented its folding Mate X2 handset, which the company proclaimed can be closed without there being a gap around the hinge, an issue that has plagued similar designs.
The IN crowd
Our new 5G Innovation Zone gave start-ups and entrepreneurs a platform to connect with investors and become future disruptors.
The zone included 80 exhibitors, displaying immersive 5G experiences that leveraged China Telecom's 5G, Cloud XR and Digital Twin technologies, creating a unique experience for participants by moving them from the physical space into the virtual dimension. It removed physical constraint and greatly enriched the quality of the exhibition.
It also showcased how the most cutting-edge 5G thinking and technology is already serving society, providing in-person and virtual guests with the opportunity to explore the best examples.
2021 AMOs Success
The Asia Mobile Awards are always a highlight of MWC Shanghai, and this year was no exception. The Outstanding Contribution to the Asia Mobile Industry Award recognises sustained or extraordinary contributions by individuals, organisations or collaborative achievements that advance the value and benefits of mobile communications for people, business and societies in Asia. This year, Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, was proud to announce joint winners, Wang Xiaochu, chairman and CEO of China Unicom and Ke Ruiwen, chairman and CEO China Telecom, for the world's largest 5G commercial network sharing project.
The second honour, Smartphone of the Year, is awarded for outstanding performance, innovation and leadership as determined by assessing smartphones on the market during the last 18 months. John Hoffman announced the 2021 award went to Apple for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Series. The judges also gave a special commendation to the Samsung Galaxy Z-Flip for continued innovation and development in the flexible display field.
Our thanks
In the most challenging circumstances, people came together. They demonstrated the ecosystem's strength, commitment to innovation, and firm belief that mobile technology must play a vital role in the global recovery. Our sincere thanks to our Board, Partners, Exhibitors, Sponsors, Speakers, the Press and all involved in this event. Your resilience, commitment, and generosity were felt by participants worldwide and created hope, sending a positive signal about what 2021 has in store.
Looking to Barcelona
The next platform for the mobile communications industry is MWC Barcelona in June, said Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA. The lessons learnt in Shanghai and the momentum gained will enable us to deliver another world-class event. The global recovery from the pandemic will continue to rely on our industry's technology. The prospects for wireless connectivity have never been greater. Barcelona will be the place to be for anyone wanting to maximise those opportunities.
For information about how to attend and pass types for MWC Barcelona, please visit: www.mwcbarcelona.com/attend/register-your-interest
ENDS
About GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with almost 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as o
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...