UKTL showcases telecoms security leadership at MWC 2025

This week, the UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL) joined global industry leaders at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona – the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event. With over 109,000 attendees from 205 countries and the most extensive security agenda in MWC’s history, the conference provided a vital platform for UKTL to share its vision for a secure and resilient telecoms future.

UKTL’s senior leadership team engaged with industry, academia and policymakers to advance its mission of safeguarding the UK’s connectivity infrastructure and to explore partnerships that will deliver secure-by-design innovation as the sector evolves.

Chief Technical Officer Bridgette Bigmore represented the UK on the GSMA Security and Fraud Emerging Technologies Panel, alongside experts from Ericsson, Security Research Labs and Axiata. The discussion addressed one of telecoms’ most pressing challenges: balancing security-by-design with the industry’s drive for rapid innovation. The panel also examined AI’s dual role as both a transformative tool and a potential attack vector, underscoring the need for robust frameworks and collaborative solutions.

MWC 2025 reinforced the importance of global partnerships. UKTL held strategic discussions with UK and international stakeholders, including the UK Deputy Director of Future Telecoms and Japan’s Deputy Director-General of Digital Infrastructure, reflecting shared priorities for secure connectivity. Conversations with the UK Space Agency and partners at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) highlighted advances in satellite-enabled mobile calls – an area where UKTL’s expertise in security testing will be pivotal.

As one speaker memorably noted:

MWC 2025 was not only an opportunity to share UKTL’s ambitions but also to listen, learn and build partnerships that will shape the future of telecoms security. We extend our thanks to GSMA, our fellow panellists and the many industry leaders who contributed to these vital conversations.

UKTL returns to Solihull with renewed momentum, ready to scale its capabilities to meet the high expectations of industry and government alike. We look forward to continuing this dialogue at MWC 2026 and beyond.