Neutral Wireless to showcase airborne private 5G at MWC

Private 5G specialist Neutral Wireless will showcase how it can provide private 5G connectivity from the air at Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC) in Barcelona next week (2-5 March).

The company will be located in the MWC Airport of the Future zone, where visitors will be able to experience real-world systems used across live sports production, including airborne and mobile private 5G networks designed for high-uplink performance and rapid activation.

At the centre of the showcase will be a 5G-enabled Groppo ultralight aircraft, previously used in trials for live TV production.

There will also be live demonstrations of nibOS, Neutral Wireless’s software that automates network operations across land, sea and air environments.

Pop-up private 5G networks are being supported by the upcoming availability of short-duration N40 spectrum by Ofcom in the UK. This shift is expected to significantly reduce timelines for temporary live events and news gathering, enabling networks to be activated in days rather than months.

Neutral Wireless says its use of lightweight airborne and mobile systems to provide Flying Private 5G reduces the need for heavy infrastructure, large outside broadcast deployments, and energy-intensive workflows. This enables more sustainable connectivity for live events.

Neutral Wireless is collaborating with a number of organisations and technology partners to deliver elements of the MWC Barcelona showcase. The initiative is supported by GSMA Fusion, IBC and the Dept of Public Expenditure Infrastructure Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Ireland, alongside contributions from technology partners including AMD, Amarisoft, AW2S, Cisco, Druid Software, Eutelsat, Haivision, Logicalis, Qualcomm and StrathSDR.

“The industry is full of big promises about future networks, but our focus is on what’s already working in the real world,” said professor Bob Stewart, CTO and director at Neutral Wireless. “At MWC, we’re showing how private 5G can be deployed quickly, sustainably and in places traditional infrastructure struggles to reach. Whether that’s live sport, major events or emergency response, the goal is to make connectivity more flexible, more efficient and ultimately more useful.”