The annual Mobile World Congress conference is one of the most significant global events that brings together the mobile industry’s key players and innovators to discuss the latest advancements and future trends and this year’s edition was no exception.
The opening keynote – Vision of an Open Future
Day 1 of this industry-leading connectivity event began in full force.
From the metaverse, 5G to AI and sustainability, each of these topics were at the core of this year’s MWC and, indeed, the industry at large. These transformational technologies stood as the focus of the opening keynote and set the tone for the entire engaging event.
Keynote 2 – Delivering the Digital Decade
The second keynote of Day 1 heavily focused on the critical nature of DE&I, particularly regarding gender equality. Many of the speakers’ key questions revolved around sustainability, trust and the climate crisis, and how companies in the telecoms industry can navigate these pressing threats.
The primary outcomes of these discussions were focused on creating a future-ready Telco industry that is low latency, programmable, cloud, and edge computing-based.
In terms of evolution, Telco has come a long way, from minutes of voice to Mbps and Gbps, capacity, latency, and processing. Now, interconnecting voice is done through open APIs, while tailor-made integrations are replaced with a global ecosystem of interconnected platforms. Telco service providers are now looking at becoming a bidirectional tokenized platform, and commercial bundles are being replaced with a digital supermarket. Carriers are transforming into Web3 companies, and a digital brain is being created through physical infrastructure.
GSMA “Open Gateway” Project
The GSMA “OPEN GATEWAY” Project is an initiative aimed at exposing information from multiple telecommunications operators through a set of standardized APIs to developers:
- Device Status
- Quality On Demand
- Device Location
- SIM Swap
- Number verification
- OTP Validation
- Carrier Billing
- Edge Site Selection and Routing
The project enables developers to access device status, location, billing, and quality data on demand from various operators providing a more open and connected telecommunications ecosystem.
The project is based on the work of the GSMA’s CAMARA Working Group. It aims to create a global ecosystem of interconnected platforms that benefits operators and developers. The ultimate goal is accelerating the growth of innovative services and solutions in the telecommunications industry by enabling developers to access standardized and harmonized data from multiple sources.
New Era of Earth Computing
After the initial official launch of the GSMA Open Gateway, Telefonica CEO Álvarez-Pallete talked about the benefits of global connectivity and the possibility of entering a new era of global wireless computing by increasing collaboration between industries and stakeholders, which he referred to as “Earth Computing”.
“It’s time to combine the finest of the Earth and the best of the cloud. This is the moment for telcos, big tech, and digital actors to work together to create a digital future with possibilities for everybody,” Alvarez-Pallete said.
Following those remarks, Orange CEO Christel Heydemann addressed operators’ challenges in this global, connected economy. In particular, she emphasized the challenges European operators face.
She noted that the situation in European telecoms has grown paradoxical during the last ten years as the industry faces contradicting obligations. According to PWC, 46% of telecom Executives believe they will not live another decade.
At the end of the discussion, GSMA’s Mats Granryd reminded the audience of the difficulties connecting the remaining 3.6 billion people without mobile internet access and 400 million without coverage. While coverage is available in most locations, he claims that many individuals cannot reap the benefits of digital connectivity due to the high cost of mobile devices and, in many cases, a lack of digital literacy. As a result, he believes that mobile stakeholders, internet businesses, and governments worldwide must work rapidly to close the digital gap.
What action items came from the discussions around bridging the digital gap? Operators across the globe plan to invest roughly $1.5 trillion in their networks by 2030, with 5G accounting for 92% of the network investment.
The Crucial Role of 5G Spectrum in Delivering the Digital Decade
As we continue to move into the digital decade, 5G technology will become the dominant force in network investment. By the end of this period, operators are expected to have spent around 1.5 trillion US dollars on their networks, reflecting the pivotal role that 5G is playing in enabling digital transformation across all sectors. However, spectrum allocation is crucial for 5G to reach its full potential.
Spectrum is the lifeblood of 5G, allowing for faster and more reliable communication between devices. As such, the decisions made at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2023 (WRC-23) about spectrum allocation will profoundly impact the growth of 5G and the digital economy. By making the right decisions at WRC-23, CPSs can unlock the full potential of 5G and benefit millions of people worldwide.
Intraway at Mobile World Congress 2023
Intraway had a strong presence at MWC, with several exciting meetings and discussions with key players in the telecommunications space. It is always great to see new and familiar faces!
Also, the company’s representatives engaged with diverse stakeholders, including service providers, technology vendors, and industry analysts. As a result, Intraway showcased its expertise in these areas and demonstrated how Symphonica, its no-cloud, cloud-native orchestration and automation solution, could help service providers streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve customer experience. Overall, these meetings indicate that Intraway is making significant progress in building partnerships and expanding the reach of Symphonica while reinforcing its position as a trusted partner for communication service providers worldwide.
#MWC2023 provided a great platform to discuss the latest advancements and future trends in the mobile industry. The discussions and outcomes highlighted the need for Telco to become future-ready, the importance of open APIs, the need to bridge the usage gap, the significance of spectrum, and the exciting opportunities Earth computing presents. The conference was an excellent opportunity for industry players to collaborate and create a better future for all.
