Huawei made a strong comeback at MWC Shanghai 2025 with showcasing both its innovation and strategic capabilities. The next frontier of intelligent connectivity is being championed by the Chinese tech giant, with a focus on 5G-Advanced (known as 5 G-A) and scenario-based AI applications. It was more than a technical demonstration. Huawei’s statement conveyed their desire to transition from traditional infrastructures to networks that function more like intelligent ecosystems.
The New International Expo Centre in Shanghai provided a sensory experience for Huawei’s hall. Beyond the glamour, the company made it clear that mobile carriers should prioritize monetization over coverage and bandwidth. To achieve this, it is necessary to utilize intelligent networks powered by AI, which are based on the backbone of 5G-A.
In 300 cities in China, Huawei has confirmed that over 10 million users are already using premium 5G-A services. That’s not theory, it’s traction. Despite their reservations about basic pricing, telecom companies are now testing packages that offer cloud gaming, high-quality video calling, and immersive AR. Unlike its predecessors, 5G-A offers more consistent connections for use cases that require stable and low latency.
Among Huawei’s accomplishments, I was particularly impressed by their focus on scenario-based AI agents rather than vague artificial intelligence promises. This included real-time AI co-pilots that help network engineers during maintenance, real time AI-generated customer service insights, and automated configuration for complex network topologies. Moreover, they presented self-learning bots that can predict faults before they occur and allocate resources dynamically without human intervention. A network that learns, adapts and runs on its own.
Huawei’s AI‑driven narrative comes at a time when the company is navigating a complex geopolitical landscape. Ongoing U.S. sanctions have cut it off from critical chip technologies and global partnerships. Not only is it innovative, but so is the focus of a lot of attention to AI and 5G-A. This strategy involves both engineering advancements and reinventions.
Certainly, China is an exceptionally productive testing ground. Rapid and centralized rollouts are possible with three national telecom operators under centralized alignment. The reality in Africa, and specifically sub-Saharan areas, is much more fragmented. Given the issues of diverse infrastructure quality, regulatory red tape, and affordability concerns make it unlikely we’ll see this kind of 5G-A and AI integration deployed at scale in Nigeria, Kenya, or Ghana anytime soon.
Africa’s telcos will still be affected by Huawei. The lesson is that you can’t just build for speed, you need to build for smart as 5G gains momentum on the continent. The objective is to establish AI-based networks from the ground up by investing in intelligent routers, self-optimizing software, and cloud-native infrastructure.
Especially with Huawei betting on experience monetization, African telecom providers have new avenues of revenue. Given the decreasing margins on voice and data, telcos will have to focus on niche solutions such as smart farming connectivity, advanced AI-based rural diagnostics, or hyperlocal video streaming partnerships. These are no longer moon-shot ideas, they’re logical extensions of what networks can now support.
A significant shift in power is occurring in the telecom industry due to Huawei’s 5G-A vision, which is crucial. It moves the intelligence layer from the device into the network itself. The end-user experience may be more challenging for competitors such as Apple and Google, who have traditionally been dominant in terms of devices and apps. If Huawei succeeds, the network will become more than just a pipe, it will be the brain.
So, while I read this announcement impressed, I also had a lot of questions. Is Huawei capable of expanding beyond the borders of China? Does the deep integration of AI by a company that is still under sanctions pose ambiguity to global regulators? Can Africa telcos make the most of this shift, or will we be left behind once more?
Huawei is not just building faster networks. It’s trying to redefine what networks are and who gets to lead them. The rest of us should take note.
