Predictions Preview: What to Expect at This Year’s Event

This Thursday in London, more than 200 delegates from across the technology sector will gather for CCS Insight’s Predictions for 2026 and Beyond event, hosted by VodafoneThree. Our analysts will take to the stage to unveil our latest crop of predictions for the coming years and discuss major trends with leading figures from the industry.

Chief Analyst Ben Wood will kick off the day with an overview of the key predictions and how these changes will affect the market. This presentation will focus on the prevailing hot topic, AI, but there’s plenty more on the agenda, including innovations in devices like wearables and smart glasses, trends in subscription services and why digital skills are more important than ever.

To follow up on these trends, Ben will be joined on stage by Annika Bizon, Vice President of Product and Marketing, Mobile eXperience for Samsung UK and Ireland. Annika will provide her perspectives on the convergence of health and AI, the innovative strides Samsung is making in this space with its portfolio of wearables, including smart rings, and the importance of a device ecosystem.

Kester Mann, Director of Consumer and Connectivity, will present an update on the telecom market ahead of his interview with Andrea Donà, Chief Network Officer at VodafoneThree. Amid a period of consolidation in Europe, including the merger of Vodafone and Three earlier this year, this discussion is one you don’t want to miss.

Kester will also share exclusive insights into the travel eSIM market from our recent Spotlight report. Travel eSIMs are turning the traditional roaming market on its head: the influx of new players, a sharp fall in prices and the move toward remote provisioning are changing the way people think about getting connected when they go away, and only a small number of operators have responded to the rush of activity in the market.

An area seeing increased activity is connectivity and devices for children, with operators such as EE and Vodafone recently making moves to offer child-friendly packages with safety in mind. Given the widespread ownership of mobile phones by children, questions have been raised about the long-term effects of phone usage on health and well-being. In addition to the problems of harmful content, cyberbullying and contact with strangers, prolonged screen time can give rise to eye strain, cognitive overload and digital addiction — all serious concerns that no parent can overlook.

Device-makers are also addressing these concerns, and Leo Gebbie, Principal Analyst, will interview TCL’s David Derrida, Vice President of Products, Europe about the company’s efforts in this area. TCL recently announced the Nxtpaper 5G Junior, which aims to reduce glare and offers controls such as screen time limits and content filters for parents. It also announced its MoveTime smartwatch, an alternative for parents wanting to teach kids the importance of staying connected.

Ian Fogg, Director of Network Innovation, will explore AI’s impact on networks, from 5G network slicing and spectrum to drones and the cloud. This presentation will set the scene for Geoff Blaber’s interview with Hemanth Sampath, Vice President of Engineering — 5G/6G, XR and AI at Qualcomm. The US chipmaker has a bullish perspective on what AI will mean for 6G, and the advent of a more intelligent and predictive network, coupled with on-device AI and agents in novel categories such as smart glasses, promises to transform the way users interact with devices.

Ian will also host a panel on practical AI later in the afternoon, talking to Dan Warren, Head of Team Communications Research at Samsung R&D Institute UK; Ari Kynaslahti, Chief Technology Officer, Mobile Networks at Nokia; and Kelly Barlow, Strategy and Portfolio Director at VodafoneThree. The discussion will explore real-world AI deployments and the vision for the future.

Research Analyst Ben Hatton will give a comprehensive overview of the circular device economy. Expect insights from our latest Pulse research into second-hand mobile devices, including total market value, residual values by brand, foldable smartphones, trade-in offers, the impact of regulation and enterprise strategies for used devices.

Another interesting panel, led by Bola Rotibi, Chief of Enterprise Research, will focus on enterprise IT. In recent years, we’ve seen companies shift from single-supplier models to strategic partner ecosystems where platforms, integrators, infrastructure providers and marketplaces combine to deliver outcomes. Bola will be joined by representatives from major industry players — Iain Gavin, Director of Partners, UK and Ireland at Amazon Web Services; Joe Baguley, Chief Technology Officer, EMEA at Broadcom; and Brian Meaney, Chief Architect and Service Provider CTO at Cisco — to unpack what’s driving this shift and what the advantages are for enterprises.

To round off the day, Luke Pearce, Principal Analyst, will explore the burgeoning topic of satellite and non-terrestrial networks. We expect rapid growth in the adoption of satellite-enabled smartphones, which will surge from close to 200 million in the market today to more than 900 million by 2028. Luke will then be joined by Michael Rieger, Principal of New Business and Innovation at Swisscom; Daniel Thomas, Commercial Lead at SatCo; and Pete Saladino, Global Head of Marketing at Skylo, for an industry perspective on the value of satellite in the mobile networks of the future.

With this jam-packed agenda, the event promises valuable insight into the exciting technology landscape. The event is already oversubscribed, but keep an eye on ccsinsight.com/predictions as we’ll be sharing the full recording online in November.