GSMA Thrive Eurasia

According to InfoWatch, confidential information breaches in Russia increased by 80% in 2017. Globally, the mobile telecommunications industry is under significant threat and increased attention from legislators, media and consumers is amplifying the public scrutiny of security. 5G standards outline standardised security architecture that offers controls surpassing those of previous generations, yet the threat posed by cyberattacks is only increasing as the industry diversifies its services. It follows that with so many more connected devices, the attack surface will be exponentially higher and correspondingly, the need for virtualisation and machine learning will become more imperative. Across all economies, there is a need for governments, private sector players and mobile operators to support a digital identity framework that is designed with privacy and security safeguards to gain citizens’ trust and ensure that data flows are not unduly impaired or compromised. This session will explore how operators in Eurasia can navigate the changing security threat landscape and construct successful digital identity frameworks as they move into the 5G era.

With the first commercial 5G network launches expected by 2020, the total number of 5G connections in Russia is set to reach 48 million by 2025. Provisions for pilot zones and dialogue around alternative approaches to infrastructure investment are already well underway. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are among other countries in the region expected to launch 5G services by 2025. The first 5G-based use cases in the region are expected to focus on enhanced mobile broadband, which will add capacity and higher speeds for mobile internet access. 5G-based Internet of Things (IoT) solutions will follow soon after, opening up opportunities in areas such as smart cities and autonomous transportation. The number of IoT connections in the CIS region is forecast to triple over the next few years, reaching 660 million by 2025. However, the full socio-economic impact of 5G in the region will be heavily dependent upon access to spectrum, including millimetre wave bands between 24 GHz and 86 GHz which will play a key role in meeting the demand for many enhanced mobile data services in Russia. This essential session will share insight from the latest 5G commercial launches and debate infrastructure models across Eurasia, offering a vision for growth for all of the region’s stakeholders.

Today, the future predicted by fiction writers and blockbuster movies is not far from the truth; self-driving cars are on the road, robotics are powering smart cities and businesses across all verticals are seeing the birth of internal AI divisions. The spirit of innovation is captured across Eurasia. Russia has had record years in funding AI start-ups, locally and globally. In 2017 approximately $1.5 billion was invested through 260 deals, which was more than the previous three years combined (GSMA Intelligence). Eurasia has ambitions of becoming a global pioneer in blockchain, and these ambitions are being realised through the imminent launch of CryptoRuble in Russia. These are the foundations of the new digital economy that are emerging from the region. Join us for this fearless session as we navigate through the innovations that are redefining services today and explore what technological revolutions, driven by big data and AI we can foresee to shape the physical and cyber landscapes of Eurasia.

The Russian media market has seen a spike in growth in recent years, driven largely by the burgeoning e-commerce sector, predicted to be worth 17 billion euros in 2019 (Morgan Stanley). Many of Eurasia’s mobile operators have already made their first forays into digital banking services and have demonstrated appetite for further expanding their role. Digital identity can transform traditional commerce and services into more efficient and convenient e-commerce and e-services. E-commerce projects have received significant funding over the past years from both private and public backers, and the trend is likely to continue as the gold rush to create ‘Russia’s Amazon’ persists and competition intensifies. Relatedly, the FinTech sector is also enjoying steady growth, with Russia ranked third globally among the top 20 largest FinTech markets in 2017 (EY), thereby creating a wealth of opportunity for mobile operators to capitalise upon their position in the value chain. With so much at stake, this exciting session is set to provide an invaluable platform for the region’s leading e-commerce and entertainment authorities to convene and share their experience as we examine the operator’s expanding role in the market.