{"id":8145,"date":"2014-02-28T12:52:03","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T12:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/about-us\/regions\/latin-america-and-the-caribbean\/?p=8145"},"modified":"2014-04-03T16:22:30","modified_gmt":"2014-04-03T16:22:30","slug":"latin-american-summit-mwc14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/about-us\/regions\/latin-america-and-the-caribbean\/latin-american-summit-mwc14\/","title":{"rendered":"Latin America Summit at MWC14: long-term sustainability of the mobile industry and its importance in developing more efficient cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cLatin America has gained more presence and relevance at the most important meeting point for the mobile industry globally\u201d, highlighted Sebasti\u00e1n Cabello, Director GSMA Latin America, in his opening speech for the Latin America Regional Summit held on Tuesday, February 25th within the Ministerial Programme 2014.<\/p>\n

\"molanovegamwc14\"<\/a>The keynote presentation was delivered by Diego Molano Vega, ICT Minister of Colombia, who indicated that \u201cthe mobile industry helps our towns to progress, reducing inequality and closing the gaps\u201d. In the case of Colombia, the Minister marked that it is necessary to \u201cthank the operators, because they are helping with the infrastructure that allows Internet access to thousands of kids at schools across the country\u201d. Other relevant presentation was given by Alfredo Bullard, expert in law and arbitration, who focused on the risks and effects of the regulation without technical backing regarding the quality of mobile services.<\/p>\n

The regional event took place in Barcelona alongside the Mobile World Congress. It brought together government delegations and representatives from regulatory institutions from 160 countries \u2013including 74 Ministers\u2013 and the most influential mobile industry leaders, to debate the public policies shaping the development and evolution of mobile services across the globe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mobile ecosystem is becoming more diverse and it is a key point to continue stimulating dialogue and collaboration between operators, manufacturers and Internet players, to maximize the impact and opportunities of ICTs\u201d, emphasized Cabello.<\/p>\n

\"panel1mwc14\"<\/a>The Regional Summit focused on debating how to secure a regulatory environment to provide sustainability to infrastructure investment within the mobile sector, in the short and long terms. The first part counted on a panel of regulators and operators among which were Luis Fernando Borj\u00f3n (Commissioner, Federal Telecommunications Institute, Mexico), Daniel Bernal Salazar (Director of Regulatory Affairs, America Movil), Maximiliano Martinh\u00e3o (Secretary of Communications, Brazil), Maryleana M\u00e9ndez Jim\u00e9nez (President of the Council, SUTEL, Costa Rica) and Carlos L\u00f3pez Blanco (Global Director of Public Affairs, Telefonica).<\/p>\n

Smart Cities in Latin America
\n<\/strong>Another key topic at the Latin America Regional Summit was that of Smart Cities and how mobile networks can make the cities of Latin America work more efficiently.<\/p>\n

Arturo Muente<\/strong> (ICT Policy Specialist, World Bank), who was in charge of giving the main presentation on the topic, affirmed: \u201cCitizens in the region are demanding more and better services. Therefore, using mobile technology to improve public services will be key in the future\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"panel2mwc14\"<\/a>The debate panel on Smart Cities of Latin America was formed by: Jos\u00e9 Antonio Aranda (Technology Director, GSMA Latin America), M\u00f3nica Aspe Bernal (Head of Office for CoordINATION and Information Society, Mexico), Pelayo Covarrubias (President, Pa\u00eds Digital Foundation, Chile), Gabrielle Gauthey (Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Alcatel-Lucent) and Rafael Steinhauser (Senior Vice President and President of Qualcomm Latin America ).<\/p>\n

Consumer protection initiative in Brazil
\n<\/strong>In the context of the Mobile World Congress 2014, an important announcement for the region was made. An initiative by all mobile operators of Brazil was made, to provide a safer, more secure and convenient mobile experience<\/a> by controlling SMS spam, reducing handset theft and protecting children’s rights. Paulo Bernardo (Brazilian Minister of Communications) and Anne Bouverot (Director General GSMA) signed a mutual cooperation agreement to accelerate the expansion of mobile broadband within Brazil<\/a> and promote M2M, mHealth and mMoney services.<\/p>\n

Mobile World Congress record
\n<\/strong>The Mobile World Congress 2014 shattered previous records<\/a> when more than 85,000 Visitors from 201 countries gathered at Fira Montju\u00efc in Barcelona. The four-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the world\u2019s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies and companies from industry sectors such as automotive, finance and healthcare, as well as government delegations from across the globe. Over 50 per cent of this year\u2019s Mobile World Congress attendees hold C-level positions, including more than 4,500 CEOs.<\/p>\n

Resources<\/h2>\n