Forum member organizations are committed to help meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through pioneering IOWN technologies

At MWC Barcelona next month, the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum (IOWN Global Forum) will update on its progress in delivering a smarter world through next-generation communications infrastructure. The Forum will showcase its work through exhibits and explainers at its booth in Hall 2, Stand 2B40, and discussions at a half-day session in the afternoon of Tuesday, March 4. The program will explore how next-generation communications and infrastructure technologies play a key role in meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and future needs of business and society.

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The IOWN Global Forum Booth - Hall 2, Stand 2B40 (Photo: Business Wire)

With now over 150 members, the IOWN Global Forum is fast expanding its community of like-minded organizations across the technology sector and industry verticals. Their work is focused on developing technologies through the Forum for ultra-high bandwidth, ultra-low latency networks that can handle unprecedented levels of distributed data in real time; deliver high resiliency, disaster recovery, and advanced performance; and create a more sustainable, distributed network.

Booth: Hall 2, Stand 2B40

This is the first time the IOWN Global Forum will be exhibiting at MWC. At the booth, members will introduce the vision of the IOWN Global Forum, present All-Photonics Network (APN)-related solutions, and discuss progress with early adoption use cases and proofs of concept. These include multi-data center infrastructure for financial services institutions and remote media production and streaming.

Session: Evolving Networks at the Speed of Light: Sustainable Innovation with the IOWN Global Forum Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Time: 15:00-19:00 CET (doors open 14:45) Location: Partner Theatre 5, Hall 8.0 – 4YFN and Partner Theatres

During the session, the IOWN Global Forum members will examine the evolution of network infrastructure, introduce IOWN Global Forum technologies, and share the future vision of the Forum. Delegates will have the opportunity to hear from senior executives and technical experts from key industry players including Accenture, Ciena, Ericsson, Google, Intel, KDDI, Microsoft, Nokia, NTT, NTT Docomo, Orange, Red Hat, SK Telecom, and Telefónica.

  • Presentation: Introduction to the IOWN Global Forum and Updates from Leading Organizations - An overview of IOWN technology and the IOWN Global Forum from members of global organizations.
  • Panel: The New Norm for Data Centers - A debate on the current and future challenges facing data centers, such as the AI boom and energy consumption, and how IOWN Global Forum innovation can help tackle them.
  • Panel: Increasing the ROI for 5G and Beyond - An exploration of IOWN technology’s role in the development of 5G and beyond, and the advance of today’s and tomorrow’s networks.

Dr. Katsuhiko Kawazoe, President and Chairperson of the IOWN Global Forum, said: “With 2030 in our sights, the IOWN Global Forum’s efforts to develop the technologies that will build the communication infrastructure of the future are more focused than ever. As our international collaborations with best-in-class partners continue to expand, we have made significant progress since our foundation five years ago. MWC 2025 is an opportunity for us to share our progress and look ahead as we move from development to deployment, helping to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and tackling critical societal and environmental challenges.”

Visit us in Hall 2, Stand 2B40 and join us for our Evolving Networks at the Speed of Light program on Tuesday, March 4 in Partner Theatre 5, Hall 8.0 – 4YFN and Partner Theatres

About the IOWN Global Forum

The IOWN Global Forum was established in 2020 as a private sector organization to develop IOWN Global Forum technologies and use cases, and is comprised of over 150 organizations. The objective of the IOWN Global Forum is to accelerate innovation and adoption of a new communication infrastructure to meet our future data and computing requirements through the development of new technologies, frameworks, specifications, and reference designs in areas such as photonics R&D, distributed computing, use cases, and best practices. For more information, visit IOWN Global Forum – Innovative Optical and Wireless Network.

Media Contacts Joe Hatt IOWN Global Forum press@iowngf.org