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Strengthening Digital Partnerships for the Commonwealth at Mobile World Congress 2026
BY LINDA NEH
In today’s deeply interconnected digital landscape, no country can advance its digital transformation journey in isolation. Collaboration, strategic partnerships, and shared innovation have become essential to building resilient infrastructure, expanding connectivity, and ensuring that the benefits of digitalisation are inclusive and far-reaching. It is within this context that the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation participated in Mobile World Congress 2026, held in Barcelona from 2–5 March 2026, advancing high-level engagements to strengthen partnerships across the global digital ecosystem as the Organisation marks 125 years of telecommunications leadership. At a time when digital transformation continues to reshape economies and societies, the CTO’s presence at this premier global gathering underscored its role as a vital convening platform, bringing together governments, industry leaders, and development partners to foster meaningful cooperation across the Commonwealth. On the margins of the Congress, the Secretary General engaged with CTO Member States to better understand their evolving digital priorities, national development goals, and the connectivity challenges they face. These discussions are helping to inform more responsive and targeted CTO interventions, including capacity-building programmes, policy dialogue, and platforms for peer learning and knowledge exchange. A strong emphasis was placed on deepening collaboration among member countries, leveraging shared experiences and collective expertise to address common challenges such as bridging the digital divide, strengthening infrastructure resilience, and expanding equitable access to digital technologies. This collaborative approach remains central to the CTO’s mission of supporting its members in navigating an increasingly interconnected digital landscape. The engagements also included high-level meetings with private sector stakeholders, global technology companies, and service providers. These discussions focused on forging impactful partnerships that align innovation with development priorities, unlocking new opportunities for investment, technology transfer, and scalable digital solutions across Commonwealth countries. Key conversations centred on the issues shaping the future of connectivity, including resilient digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, satellite and space-based connectivity, and enhanced cooperation in internet governance. These themes highlight the critical importance of multi- stakeholder partnerships in building secure, inclusive, and sustainable digital ecosystems. Particular attention was given to the role of emerging technologies in extending connectivity to underserved and remote communities. AI-driven solutions and satellite technologies are increasingly seen as essential tools for improving access, strengthening disaster preparedness, and supporting digital government and economic growth across member countries.
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