25 February 2026
Sumitomo Electric to Exhibit at Mobile World Congress 2026 —Toward Realizing Future 6G Communications Through All-Optical Networks—
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. will exhibit its next-generation communication technologies—a high-speed, high-capacity millimeter wave communication system and an all-optical network transceiver (APN*¹ transceiver)—at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, the world's largest mobile communications exhibition, to be held in Barcelona, Spain from March 2 (Monday) to 5 (Thursday), 2026.
MWC is a prestigious event organized by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), which brings together mobile operators and equipment manufacturers from around the world. Attracting over 100,000 attendees each year, it serves as a platform for showcasing the latest technologies and emerging market trends.
At our booth within the Japan Pavilion, we will showcase innovative solutions for future communication infrastructure, including 6G and APN, such as millimeter wave-based distributed antenna systems (DASs), industrial 5G edge AI terminals, and APN transceivers, and will conduct live demonstrations. We are looking forward to your visit to our booth for a hands-on approach to the latest technologies.
Overview of Sumitomo Electric’s Exhibit at the MWC 2026
| Dates | March 2 (Mon)–5 (Thu), 2026 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Fira de Barcelona, Spain |
| Booth | JAPAN Pavilion - Sumitomo Electric Booth (Hall 6, Stand 6E54) |
| Official Website | https://www.mwcbarcelona.com |
| Technologies Exhibited | • 5G millimeter wave-compatible DASs • Industrial 5G edge AI Terminals • APN transceivers (APN-Ts) / APN splitters (APN-Ss) |
*1 APN: All-Photonics Network. This network minimizes the conversion between optical and electrical signals and connects endpoints with optical (photonics) technology to achieve low power consumption and low-latency communication.
Reference for Technologies Exhibited
■5G Millimeter Wave-Compatible DAS
Unlike conventional methods that radiate high-power radio waves from a single base station, this system disperses signals using optical fiber and radiates at low power to efficiently expand coverage areas. It enables high-capacity communication even in locations where radio waves are difficult to reach, such as indoors or underground. Our DAS supports 5G millimeter wave and features DAS remote units (millimeter wave antennas) that areapproximately one-tenth the size of standard millimeter wave base stations. At the venue, we will conduct a live demonstration using an actual unit.
■Industrial 5G Edge AI Terminal
This device features millimeter-wave high-capacity communication, dustproof and waterproof performance, and integrated AI functionality. It collects data from factories and transportation infrastructure, executing AI processing locally to enable low-latency feedback and load balancing with cloud services. At the venue, we will transmit footage from high-definition cameras with approximately 80% reduced data volume using our proprietary AI for image compression.
■APN-T / APN-S
APN is a technology that converts network equipment and devices from requiring optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical conversion to a photonics (optical) base. APN-T is a 25 Gbps transceiver capable of remote wavelength control, and combining it with APN-S enables route switching. This system is suitable for mobile front-haul (MFH) and achieves long-distance, high-capacity, low-latency communication and improved resilience (system recovery in case of failure and sustainability). At the venue, we will perform remote route switching of MFH aimed at improving resilience.
*Research results on APN-T / APN-S were obtained through a grant-in-aid project by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)(No. JPJ012368G50201).