Robotics China's Telcos Put Humanoid Robots to Work at MWC Shanghai
At MWC Shanghai's June 24 opening, the GSMA reframed the network as the nervous system for machines, while China Mobile, Telecom, and Unicom showed robots in named jobs.
New robots, new capabilities. Tracking what's coming for the workforce.
Robotics At MWC Shanghai's June 24 opening, the GSMA reframed the network as the nervous system for machines, while China Mobile, Telecom, and Unicom showed robots in named jobs.
Robotics On May 4, 2026, the GSMA announced a 「Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge」 as a marquee competition for MWC26 Shanghai (June 24–26). The competition itself is a marketing flourish. The institutional fact under it — that telecom's global trade body now treats humanoid robotics as a Tier-1 exhibit theme alongside AI chipsets and frontier models — is the actual signal. The organizing committee includes Xinhua, AI 100, and the AIIA. The team-registration deadline is May 31.