The Mobile World Congress (MWC), which opened on Monday in Barcelona, is returning to full strength after the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and last year's version saw a significantly reduced version held during the summer.

Over 40,000 people are expected to visit this year's MWC over four days, keen to return to face-to-face contact with companies and get in touch with new trends in the mobile telecommunications sector.

The MWC has not only invited nearly all major players to present their latest smartphones and laptops, but the congress is also delving into advances in critical fields, including 5G and wider network spectrums, the Internet of Things (IoT) and fixed and pay-TV markets.

According to a Mobile Economy 2022 report from GSMA Intelligence, an analysis body specialized in mobile industry research, 176 operators in 70 markets worldwide had launched commercial 5G services by the end of 2021.

Expecting 5G to be the focus of innovation in 2022, the organization pointed out in an earlier study that "supporting 5G will require new radio development and antenna innovations that ensure coverage in higher frequencies is not constrained to the point where deploying them is uneconomical."

In 2021, the study showed 60 percent of all smartphones launched were 5G compatible, with the average retail price for a 5G phone now falling below 500 U.S. dollars. This has removed a cost barrier for many people to get a 5G smartphone, though 4G will remain "the lion's share" for the next 2-3 years.

Meanwhile, a superfast 5G network will put traditional pay TV under renewed pressure, as people are switching to smart TVs and handheld devices. In addition, the older demographic groups have "a newfound savviness of video streaming" amid pandemic lockdowns.

Another effect of the pandemic is an increased awareness of health and fitness, reflected in rising sales of health services and devices.

Health is also a focal point in smart buildings and smart cities. Driven by the need to ensure workers' health and safety, GSMA Intelligence believes smart buildings will "be the largest growth segment in 2022 (and through to 2030)," and smart manufacturing IoT connections will see solid growth as well.

However, researchers from the organization warned that the lack of a new 5G spectrum could put the brakes on a 5G rollout and some of the above. Although 2G and 3G networks will be phased out shortly, many ecosystems still rely on them, so operators have to mitigate these risks.

Although there is talk of 6G at MWC 2022, its near-future development remains unclear.