MWC Barcelona opens with GSMA launching Global Mobile Economy Report plus new products and services

GSMA is celebrating the return of MWC Barcelona, the mobile ecosystem event. This year’s edition of MWC Barcelona will be a powerful combination of a physical and virtual event the first of its kind since Covid-19.

The GSMA commits to bringing the best of what the mobile industry offers to its 35,000 in-person attendees and thousands more worldwide. This new format heralds a new era of connectivity and collaboration for the mobile industry.

Kicking off MWC Barcelona 2021 with a keynote address, Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, says, “We are excited to be back in Barcelona, back to business, and back together. This year’s theme, Connected Impact, puts front and centre the power of mobile technology to affect meaningful change.

With arguably our strongest speaker line-up yet, innovative product launches, and the release of the GSMA Intelligence Global Mobile Economy Report 2021, we’re celebrating the resilience and progress the industry has made despite a year of extraordinary challenges.”

Global Mobile Economy Report 2021 reaffirms 5G momentum

The annual Global Mobile Economy Report reveals continued momentum surrounding 5G rollout, with every region in the world now hosting a live commercial 5G network. Since the industry last met in Barcelona in February 2019, the number of 5G networks increased from three in South Korea; to 165 networks in over 65 countries worldwide.

The report highlights the crucial role mobile technology will play as governments look to reinvigorate their economies and build a better, more inclusive society. It outlines a series of policy recommendations for shaping the post-pandemic digital economy, from direct stimulus funds and balancing policies for personal data to removing barriers to network deployment.

Other key findings include:

  • By the end of 2025, 5G will account for just over a fifth of total mobile connections, and more than two in five people around the world will live within reach of a 5G network.
  • In 2021, 5G networks have been launched for the first time in Indonesia, Kenya, and just this month, Tajikistan.
  • Although 4G has significant headroom for growth; Globally, 4G is expected to peak at just under 60% by 2023 as 5G begins to gain traction in new markets. In leading 5G markets such as China, South Korea, and the US, 4G has peaked and, in some cases, begun to decline.

The Global Mobile Economy Report’s release coincides with the return of the GSMA Ministerial Programme. The programme sees 133 delegations representing 106 countries and 27 international organisations taking part in this year’s discussions. More than 650 senior policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and government officials are coming together to discuss and learn how digital connectivity is acting in the service of people while driving economies of the future.

Blockchain network for wholesale roaming

Another significant step forward for the mobile industry today is announcing the “GSMA eBusiness Network” commercial readiness, a new private-permission industry-wide blockchain network. The first suite of GSMA applications hosted on the network aims to transform the wholesale roaming clearing and settlement process.

The move follows collaborative research between GSMA and six global mobile operator groups. They were the founding members of the Blockchain for Wholesale Roaming (BWR) initiative convened by the GSMA. Together with GSMA, the six operators, Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, CK Hutchison, Orange, Telefonica, Verizon, and Vodafone consolidated several successful proof-of-concept trials using blockchain technology into a minimum viable product (MVP). The effort successfully delivered an open-source blockchain solution that automates the operations of the wholesale roaming settlement process.

Tackling society’s most pressing challenges

Recognising the critical role start-ups play in fulfilling the potential of mobile technology, 4YFN is now also underway. For the first time, will be placed at the heart of MWC Barcelona in the Fira Gran Via. New this year is the 4YFN Investor Programme, which will give the 400 international start-ups in attendance an opportunity to attract the attention of leading funds, VCs, and CVCs. In addition, the inaugural 4YFN Impact Awards will spotlight start-ups from around the globe who are making a positive contribution to the planet.

John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Ltd, commented, “The mobile industry is committed on driving innovation that is accessible, fair, and safe for all. This year’s MWC Barcelona is a perfect opportunity to come together as an industry and discuss how we can achieve this. While the mobile coverage gap has narrowed by 1 billion people in the last five years, a more significant usage gap remains, and together we must combat it.

“This week, I look forward to having conversations, in person and virtually, with those who want to challenge the present, champion the future and create positive impact for the world so that together we can unlock the full power of connectivity.”

Tuesday’s programme includes a keynote from Elon Musk and a performance by Jon Bon Jovi live from TelcoDR’s booth. You can register at here.

Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @IoTNow_OR @jcIoTnow

RECENT ARTICLES

Make the Intelligent Choice: Embed X103 in Smart City Outdoor Devices

Posted on: April 25, 2024

The adage “less is more” is the current state of digital transformation, starting with existing technology that has already proven successful – and then further adapting and streamlining. The “smart city” embraces this end goal by digitalizing community services where we live and work, such as traffic and transportation, water and power, and other crucial

Read more

Industrial IoT adoption fuels growth in private cellular networks

Posted on: April 25, 2024

Mission-critical use cases are driving private IoT connection growth in key industrial markets like manufacturing, logistics and transportation. Industrial IoT (IIoT) customers are eager to digitalise critical use cases with high-powered, dedicated networks, making these industries leaders in private 4G and 5G adoption. According to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research,

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more