The Mobile World Congress (MWC) will start on Monday in the Spanish city of Barcelona and will last till Thursday, showcasing key developments in applications and technology.

Leading companies from the sector will show the latest advances in world mobile communication during the MWC this year, which was expected to be attended by between 60,000 to 70,000 people.

A series of conferences will offer cutting-edge informations by some of the most important people in the industry and the most innovative companies.

The MWC last year had generated over 300 million euros (about 395 million U.S. dollars) ticket income while providing 6,500 short term jobs in the service sector. The organizers expect the performance this year could be better.

This year's event will focus on non-contact payments and embedded technologies.

Telecommunications operators will be able to offer fourth generation LTE (Long Term Evolution) from 2014, said Spain's Secretary of State for Telecommunication Victor Calvo Sotelo.

"We are going to see a revolution in mobile technology over the next six years and it will be a great benefit, which we all want to protect," he said.

A total of 1,500 exhibitors from over 140 countries and regions all over the world, including Apple, Huawei, Sharp, ZTE, Samsung and Nokia, will attend the MWC.