NGMN Alliance on 6G, AI, and Sustainability at MWC26

Why It Matters

Early operator adoption of AI‑enabled, cloud‑native, sustainable networks will shape 6G standards, lower costs, and secure market leadership in a rapidly evolving telecom landscape.

Key Takeaways

• NGMN emphasizes AI-driven, cloud‑native networks for 6G readiness
• Operators must lead standards to avoid fragmented 6G technology stacks
• Sustainability targets include reducing CO2 scope‑2 and scope‑3 emissions
• Federated networking requires standardized APIs for seamless multi‑operator services
• NGMN releases a three‑phase network simplification framework for operators

Summary

The NGMN Alliance used its MWC26 press briefing to outline a forward‑looking agenda centered on AI‑enabled, cloud‑native networks, sustainability, and the emerging 6G ecosystem. Speakers from Orange, TIM, Telus, DT, and China Mobile highlighted the alliance’s operator‑driven mandate to shape standards, reduce complexity, and embed environmental responsibility across the value chain. Key insights included the disruptive potential of AI on network operations and workforce roles, the heightened importance of sovereignty and cyber‑security amid geopolitical tensions, and the need for operators to dictate 6G requirements to avoid a fragmented technology stack. NGMN presented a three‑phase network simplification framework, emphasized cloud‑native maturity as the prerequisite for AI readiness, and called for federated networking through standardized APIs to enable seamless multi‑operator services. Notable remarks from chairman Lauron Liusher underscored that “cloud‑native maturity is the absolute structural enabler for AI readiness,” while the alliance cited the Linux Foundation’s endorsement of its cloud manifesto and showcased Telis’s early deployment of an anomaly‑detection AI engine with explainability features. The briefing also stressed that good, actionable data is essential for any AI‑driven automation. The implications are clear: operators must accelerate cloud‑native transformations, embed AI governance, and adopt sustainable practices to meet CO2 scope‑2 and scope‑3 targets. By influencing 6G standards now, they can secure a competitive edge, ensure interoperable ecosystems, and deliver cost‑effective, low‑carbon services to both consumer and enterprise markets.

Original Description

The NGMN Alliance’s press and industry briefing at MWC26 took a look at the organisation’s recent achievements and its plans for the coming year, with a focus on AI in network operations, cloud-native architectures, sustainable networks and the 6G standardisation process, and featured insights from leading operators and industry experts.

Featuring (in order of appearance):

- Nadine Fassbender, Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, NGMN Alliance

- Anita Döhler, CEO NGMN Alliance

- Laurent Leboucher, Chairman of the NGMN Alliance Board, Orange Group CTO and EVP Networks

- Andrea Calvi, NGMN Board Member & Head of Technology Evolution and Innovation, TIM

- Bernard Bureau, NGMN Board Member & VP, Wireless Technology & Services, TELUS

- Saima Ansari, NGMN Green Future Networks Programme Lead 2025 & Cluster Lead AI and Industry Alignment, Deutsche Telekom

- Eric Hardouin, NGMN Board Member & VP Networks and Infrastructure Research, Orange

- Yuhong Huang, Former NGMN Board Member & General Manager, China Mobile Research Institute

Recorded March 2026

#telecomtv #NGMN #6G #AI #CloudNative #Sustainability #Telecoms #NetworkAutomation