GSMA Europe Mobile Meetings Series “Connected Cars: Driving the Internet of Things”

On 20 October, GSMA Europe hosted a Mobile Meetings Series breakfast debate on Connected Cars: Driving the Internet of Things. The participants, including European Commission officials, Member States’ representatives and industry executives, discussed the potential for digital services to improve transport, benefitting cities and consumers alike.

As the European Commission strives to achieve the Digital Single Market (DSM), participants discussed Commissioner Oettinger’s initiative to bring the telecom and automotive sectors together at an EU level to make connected driving happen as quickly as possible.  To complement all the other work underway, the Commissioner has established a roundtable-led process, exploring connectivity, interoperability/standardisation and security. The first roundtable took place at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September, whilst the next instalment will be at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2016.

At the breakfast debate, participants agreed that the DSM requires a paradigm shift, while realising the potential for connected mobility will require a change in the mentality of how policy is developed.  A more horizontal, general principles-based approach is needed as technology and business models now evolve far faster than legislation.