6G and Satellite Internet MWC Observation: From Vision to Cost Reduction and Network Expansion

## 2026 MWC Shanghai: 6G and Satellite Internet Enter the 'Delivery Phase' Recently, the 2026 MWC Shanghai opened as scheduled. Unlike last year's intense atmosphere of 5G-A commercial orders being landed, this year's exhibition halls placed greater emphasis on 'when can technology become real money.' In the 6G direction, the three major paths of integrated sensing and communication, AI native, and air-space-ground integration are no longer controversial; chip manufacturers have even started pre-research stocking. In the satellite internet field, the 'land grab' for orbital frequencies has basically ended, with large-scale networking and cost reduction becoming the new themes. However, consensus stops at the technology level: terminal manufacturers and investment institutions are generally standing still. Terminals are waiting for killer applications; investors can't calculate the return cycle. Even international satellite players that have achieved profitability are struggling with early cultivation of the consumer market. ## 6G Technology Paths Converge: From 'What to Do' to 'How to Do' Walking into the 6G industry ecosystem exhibition area in Hall N3 of MWC Shanghai, five sections – the Beijing 6G Lab general area, communication enhancement, integrated sensing and communication, integrated communication, computing and intelligence, and air-space-ground integration – break down the core technology vision of 6G more clearly. On-site staff said: This is the first time in MWC Shanghai history that a separate hall was set up for 6G, sending an industry signal that 6G has moved from conceptual discussion to the key stage of system validation. According to reports, last year people were still debating what 6G should do; this year, the discussion has moved to 'how to do it' and 'which trade-offs to make.' The three enhancement paths of integrated sensing and communication, AI native, and air-space-ground integration have basically formed industry consensus, and key technologies such as terahertz communication and intelligent reflecting surfaces have also entered prototype verification. The upstream layout pace of the industry chain is accelerating. At the exhibition, Qualcomm demonstrated an end-to-end 6G prototype system; Galaxy Aerospace publicly showcased its self-developed second-generation direct-to-cell phased array antenna for the first time at the 6G industry ecosystem zone; vivo displayed its 6G pre-research prototype and technology roadmap. vivo's display direction leans more toward end-to-end systems and application landing, with its complete 6G test system covering MR terminals, 6G terminal prototypes (UE), 6G base stations (RAN), and core networks. A site representative from a domestic chip manufacturer said the company's internal 6G pre-research team size has doubled compared to last year, with the logic being 'waiting for standard freeze to start is too late; you must have tech reserves prepared ahead.' ## Terminals and Investment: Business Closed Loop Still Under Exploration Terminal manufacturers are relatively cautious. A Blue Whale News reporter asked several mobile phone brands about their 6G terminal plans in the 6G zone; most responses were 'closely monitoring,' with few consumer-level product demonstrations for 6G on display. A director of 6G pre-research from a top-five global handset maker said in an off-the-record chat: It's difficult to provide a clear 6G phone commercial roadmap, not due to lack of technical capability, but because the conversion path from user demand to application scenarios on the terminal side is still under evaluation. He believes the experiential dividend of 5G has not yet been fully released, and the immersive holographic, multi-sensory scenarios envisioned for 6G are still some distance from the mass consumer market. The investment community is also more cautious. An early-stage investor said the direction of technological evolution is impressive, but from an investment perspective: the capital return of 5G is still in the digestion cycle; the scale of subsequent R&D and network deployment for 6G is enormous, and the exit cycle and revenue expectations lack sufficient data support. Therefore, at this stage, more observation is needed; the timing to act still awaits clearer commercial signals. ## 'Future Constellation': Orbital Pattern Initially Set, Cost Reduction and Scale in Parallel Unlike the 6G zone focusing on key technology verification, the 'Future Constellation' satellite industry zone presents a different industry rhythm: the orbital pattern has taken initial shape, and participants enter the stage of fine-tuning resources and costs. Exhibitors included domestic LEO broadband and narrowband constellation operators such as SpaceTime DaoYu, GuoDian GaoKe, and YuanXin Satellite, as well as international player Iridium. SpaceTime DaoYu displayed real terminal equipment for low-orbit satellite internet serving scenarios such as ocean-going vessels and desert mining areas; GuoDian GaoKe highlighted landing cases of its Tianqi constellation in the IoT field; YuanXin Satellite engineers conducted a live video call test using the 'Qianfan Constellation.' An on-site person said: The competition for track and frequency resources in satellite internet has ended; the current key lies in large-scale deployment and cost control. The batch production cost of the company's narrowband communication payloads is continuously decreasing, but they also pointed out that the user scale of satellite internet services has not yet reached the break-even point. At least for the next few years, government and industry orders will remain the mainstay of revenue. During the formation of the profit model, terminal cost is a focus. Antenna and module manufacturers interviewed generally said costs are rapidly declining and have the capability to integrate into mainstream handset designs, but most did not disclose specific figures. An Iridium business manager said Iridium has achieved positive cash flow through narrowband voice and low-speed data services, but the traditional market is approaching saturation; next growth needs to expand into IoT and emergency communications. Domestic LEO broadband constellations are still in the scale-first catching-up phase, and achieving break-even will take time and user accumulation.