ZTE Corporation walked away with multiple honors at the prestigious GSMA Global Mobile Awards during MWC Barcelona 2026, highlighting the telecom vendor’s growing influence in next-generation mobile infrastructure and industry applications.
The company received three major awards: Best Private Network Solution, Open Gateway Challenge, and Best Event Activation. The recognition underscores ZTE’s push into 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technologies and its expanding role in enabling enterprise automation, AI-powered telecom services, and large-scale live media streaming.
Organized by the GSMA, the annual GLOMO Awards are among the most respected accolades in the mobile industry, judged by more than 200 independent experts from across telecom, media, and technology sectors.
Best Private Network Solution: 5G-A RobotNet
ZTE’s EasyOn 5G-A-RobotNet platform won the Best Private Network Solution award, showcasing how private cellular networks can power advanced robotics and automation in enterprise environments.
The solution was developed in partnership with China Telecom and robotics firms AGIBOT and DroidUp.
RobotNet combines 5G-Advanced connectivity with embodied AI systems, enabling companies to operate fleets of humanoid and industrial robots across factories or logistics environments.
One of its standout capabilities is cross-brand robot orchestration, allowing enterprises to manage robots from different manufacturers within a unified network and control framework. That approach reduces integration complexity and lowers the cost barrier for large-scale robotic automation.
The system also captures high-quality multimodal operational data, which can be used to train and refine embodied AI models—an increasingly important capability as robotics and AI converge in industrial settings.
Open Gateway Innovation Powered by AI
ZTE also defended its Open Gateway Challenge title with an AI-powered Open Gateway solution developed alongside China Mobile, the China Mobile Hangzhou Research Institute, and e-commerce giant JD.com.
The initiative builds on the industry’s Open Gateway framework, which aims to expose telecom network capabilities through standardized APIs for developers and enterprises.
ZTE’s approach introduces AaaS—Abilities as a Service, combining network APIs with AI orchestration tools that simplify how developers interact with telecom infrastructure.
The system addresses common challenges enterprises face when using CAMARA-based network APIs, including high integration complexity and inefficient execution in certain application scenarios.
Key features of the AI-powered gateway include:
- Intent recognition for automated service configuration
- Intelligent orchestration across telecom network functions
- Cross-operator adaptation for multi-network environments
- Protocol extension for broader service compatibility
In a practical deployment with JD.com, the platform leverages quality-on-demand (QoD) network acceleration from 5G and 5G-Advanced networks to enhance customer service systems.
By integrating voice, video, messaging, and multimodal interactions into a unified AI platform, the system aims to power the next generation of intelligent call centers and digital customer service operations.
5G-A Takes the Stage in Live Event Streaming
The third award, Best Event Activation, went to ZTE’s 5G-A Powered Concert Live Streaming project, developed with China Telecom and media partner R&J.
The solution was first deployed at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center and demonstrated how advanced 5G networks can transform large-scale live broadcasting.
Using ZTE’s EasyOn•Live platform, the system delivers uplink speeds exceeding 2 Gbps per camera, enabling high-definition, multi-camera concert streams without relying on traditional broadcast infrastructure.
The platform incorporates ZTE’s NodeEngine computing engine, which shortens data transmission paths and improves reliability for real-time streaming workloads. It also uses SuperMIMO technology, ensuring stable video transmission even during challenging weather conditions such as rain.
Compared with conventional broadcast approaches based on the DVB standard, the 5G-A solution allows event organizers to deliver high-resolution multi-camera coverage using a single wireless network, eliminating the need for specialized and costly hardware.
The technology could potentially reshape how live performances, sporting events, and entertainment productions are streamed—particularly as demand for immersive and real-time content continues to grow.
A Broader Push Into 5G-Advanced
ZTE’s awards highlight the telecom industry’s growing shift toward 5G-Advanced, the next evolution of 5G technology designed to deliver higher capacity, lower latency, and more intelligent network capabilities.
The technology is expected to support emerging applications such as:
- Industrial automation and robotics
- AI-driven network services
- immersive media and live streaming
- smart city infrastructure
For telecom vendors like ZTE, the opportunity lies in moving beyond traditional connectivity to deliver industry-specific solutions built on advanced network capabilities.
Recognition at the GLOMO Awards suggests that the company’s strategy—combining open APIs, AI integration, and vertical applications—resonates with operators and enterprise partners alike.
As telecom networks increasingly become programmable platforms rather than simple connectivity layers, solutions like RobotNet, AI-powered Open Gateway services, and wireless live streaming could play a central role in shaping the next generation of digital ecosystems.
Power Tomorrow’s Intelligence — Build It with TechEdgeAI
