Mobile World Congress 2026 - Recap and Analysis
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Release Date: 03/16/2026
Impinj VP on RFID Transforming Supply Chain Logistics
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
For many years, RFID technology has been used by leading retailers such as Walmart, Macy's, and Lowe's. CVS, Zara, and others for theft prevention. But now, it is ready to go beyond this limited use case and transform supply chain logistics. In the episode, I talk to Gagan Luthra, VP of Product and Strategy at RAIN RFID leader Impinj, about the history of technology, how it is currently being used, how it is evolving to support complex supply chain use cases, including Gen2X performance enhancements, new form factors, higher processing power, and more. We also delve into even more...
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Lenovo VP on Endpoint Security, AIPCs and NPU
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Just like everything else, AI is profoundly transforming the security landscape. It is increasing the attack surface, sophistication, and impact. while also providing more potent tools to increase security. In enterprise PCs, security and device management apps (as part of the Corp Image) significantly reduce performance. AIPCs promise to run apps more efficiently on NPUs. In the episode, I talk to Nima Baiati, VP of Commercial Software and Security at Lenovo, about the evolving PC security landscape, the impact of AI, and the challenges of migrating security apps to the NPU. We...
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Mobile World Congress 2026 - Recap and Analysis
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
This year's MWC took place as the telecom industry is at a crossroads, with additional monetization of 5G beyond mobile broadband less certain, smartphone growth flattening, AI influence increasing, and more questions than answers about the future. In this episode, Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research, Leonard Lee of Next Curve, and I discuss our experience at the event, and analyze the traction and monetization of 5G Advanced, Autonomous Networks, compare and contrast the progress of Western and Asian markets, the opportunity for AI for telecom, early use cases, and the prospect of RAN for AI....
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Samsung on Role of AI in Telecom, AI RAN and More
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Telecom was one of the earliest users of AI, long before its marketing hype and even before it was known by that name. The recent advancements are further propelling AI's use. In this episode, I talk to Dan Warren, Director of Communications Research at Samsung, regarding the role of AI in telecom networks. We discuss its role in network operations, AI for RAN, AI with RAN, and AI on RAN concepts; how software-based networking and virtualization (vRAN/Open RAN) enable AI; who will develop and implement AI models; the scope of standardization; and more. We also delve into the investment...
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Is AI a bubble? - Analyst Discussion
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
The mind-numbing investment in AI and the sky-high valuations of the companies involved have led many to wonder whether AI has become a bubble. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Riad Hartani, who is an advisor, investor, and a longtime time industry participant, on what is driving the investment - real market demand or FOMO, who is making those them, ongoing circular investment and risks, especially in Neoclouds, RoI concerns, consumer vs. enterprise AI dynamics, whether AI is a bubble, what could be early indicators of a burst, if any, who will be worst affected, and more. We also...
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Qualcomm VP on Arduino Acqusition
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Qualcomm surprised the IoT market by announcing the acquisition of the open-source hardware champion, with a huge hobbyist/enthusiast builder ecosystem. In this episode, I talk to Qualcomm's VP of Product Management, Industrial and IoT BU, Manvinder (Manny) Singh, about the reasoning for the acquisition, challenges of the IoT industry, how AI is changing the game, what Qualcomm brings to the ecosystem, how AI Hub and the other acquisition, Edge Impulse, fit together with Arduino, and more. We also delve into what will and will not change for the Arduino's open-source spirit, as well as the...
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Lenovo Global Industry Analyst Conference (GIAC) 2025 - Recap & Analysis
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Lenovo Global Industry Analyst Conference (GIAC) 2025 was held in October 2025 at the company's US Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was a three-day event packed with Keynote Addresses, numerous panels, and breakout sessions discussing Lenovo's AI strategy and roadmap, while highlighting its market and technology leadership. There was a good amount of dialogue, Q&A, and exchange of ideas and views between the company's executives and analysts. In this episode, Anurag Agrawal of Techaisle, Leonard Lee of Next Curve, and I recap and analyze the event, discussing how...
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Huawei Connect 2025 & Analyst Event - Recap & Analysis
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Huawei organized two major events in September 2025. The first, Huawei Connect 2025, was a larger public event for customers, partners, media, analysts, and everyone else. The second, Analyst Talks, was a small, private analyst-only event. Both were held in Shanghai, China, and showcased the company's technology prowess and progress in the global AI race. In the episode, I discuss the key takeaways from both events with Peter Jarich, a fellow analyst and Head of GSMA Intelligence. We delve into Huawei's progress in AI despite challenges, how it is coping with limited access to the latest...
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Lenovo VP on AIPCs, Concept Devices Journey, & Sustainability
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
After more than a decade of a dull period, the PC industry has seen some excitement, with AIPCs, Windows on Arm, the resurgence of Intel, and more. Amidst all this, Lenovo has continued to lead the market and brought excitement with its new concept devices, such as 360-degree display laptops, Rollable, VertiFlex, and others. In this episode, I talk to Tom Butler, Lenovo's VP of Worldwide Commercial Portfolio, about AIPC traction, limited use of on-device AI capabilities & evolution, and the journey of introducing new concept devices, and more. We also delve into how sustainability is...
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Discussion with the CEO of Edge AI Foundation
Tantra's Mantra with Prakash Sangam
Edge AI has been hailed as the future of AI. However, it is yet to take off, and most of today's investment is directed towards cloud AI. Notwithstanding that, some green shoots are emerging. In the episode, I talk to Pete Bernard, CEO of the industry association, Edge AI Foundation, on the reasons behind the slow growth of Edge AI, the challenges the industry is facing, and what use cases and early segments are seeing traction. We also delve into the vision and mission of the foundation, exploring how it is helping the industry address challenges while harnessing opportunities, and what the...
info_outlineThis year's MWC took place as the telecom industry is at a crossroads, with additional monetization of 5G beyond mobile broadband less certain, smartphone growth flattening, AI influence increasing, and more questions than answers about the future.
In this episode, Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research, Leonard Lee of Next Curve, and I discuss our experience at the event, and analyze the traction and monetization of 5G Advanced, Autonomous Networks, compare and contrast the progress of Western and Asian markets, the opportunity for AI for telecom, early use cases, and the prospect of RAN for AI. 6G and more. We also delve into whether telcos are better positioned for the sovereign AI and Data Center market.
Index:
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Guest intro (Neil Shah, Leonard Lee)
01:10 - MWC attendance
02:23 - Major themes of the event - 5G Advanced, AI, Autonomous Networks, 6G
07:00 - AI Ops for operators (AI for Telco) - Customer Care, Marketing, Billing, HR, Network Management, etc.
14:43 - AI for Networks Ops - Challenges,(data for AI) opportunities, and progress so far
17:38 - Autonomous Networks - Chinese operators at Level-4 (pockets), others at Level-2/2.5
21:30 - Current status of AI - Frank talk by Samsung Network executives on the current status
23:14 - Challenges of extending Autonomous Networks beyond China (by Chinese vendors), need for monetization opportunities
25:56 - Can the 5G Advanced monetization use case, successful in China, work in the US/Europe?
29:42 - RAN for AI, feasibility of GPU at Base stations, and challenges (power, weight, space)
33:29 - 6G - Qualcomm sensing demos, Ericsson/Apple - 5G/6G spectrum sharing (MRS) demo, uplink, need for monetization going beyond wireless service
41:25 - Are operators better positioned to offer Sovereign AI Data Centers - Deutsche Telekom's strategy, similar approach by Middle East /Korea, Is sovereignty is about data or also includes models?
50:50 - Did MWC 2026 move the needle for operators?
52:35 - Closing